Romanian online retailer Emag.RO has opened a new automatic distribution centre in Bucharest and has selected UK-based automated solutions provider Knapp as its technology partner.
As part of the collaboration, Knapp will be supporting the fulfilment of e-commerce logistics in central and south-eastern Europe.
Knapp’s relationship with e-commerce in the region dates back to 2015 when it began talks with Czech digital retailer Mall.CZ, which ended in Knapp developing a solution for the firm.
The automation company also demonstrated several of its solutions at Robotics and Automation 2022.
“To efficiently process such a wide range of goods, we had to ensure that heavy items such as large bags of dog food could be automatically transported and sorted just as easily as small electronics,” said Lenka Neuhold, director of mobile subsidiary at Knapp.
For Neuhold, it was important to prioritise both cost effectiveness and high levels of flexibility and performance for Mall.CZ, while also addressing challenges in the consolidation and packing areas.
What’s more, Knapp claims to be an established technology partner in Romania. Romania’s online retail sector is also one of the largest in south-eastern Europe, according to the European E-commerce Report 2017.
Knapp’s relationship with Emag.RO began with its provision of an OSR Shuttle Evo, which comes equipped with 18 rack line systems, to one of its sites. The shuttle was designed to support the supply of goods to workstations and robots, which in turn helps automate the sorting of dispatch cartons.
A team of Knapp service technicians remain on site at the Emag.RO facility to support and troubleshoot warehouse operations. The retailer has announced plans to add 18 further rack line systems to the space.
Knapp also reports that it has held other technological partnerships for e-commerce and retail logistics in south-eastern and eastern Europe for several years. This includes its delivery of a conveyor system solution for Alza.CZ’s central warehouse in Prague and a collaboration with electronics retailer HP Tronic that dates back to 2016.
Since then, Knapp has supplied Tronic with an OSR Shuttle for omni-channel applications and goods-to-person work stations for both its own shops and for online customers.
Neuhold expanded on Knapp’s experience with e-commerce solutions and said: “Orders have to be fulfilled with top quality and with ever increasing speed, so as not to disappoint the online customer with an error or a long wait.”
Knapp has said it hopes to provide its experience in automation to any e-commerce organisations who currently offer or are working to offer next-day delivery.
