The multi-customer site in Bergkamen has a total of 40,000^m2 of warehouse space and is part of the neighboring DHL Supply Chain Campus Unna, which is less than 10 km away. In future, 20,000^m2 of warehouse space will be available for IKEA alone. Around 350 employees will work for the customer at the Bergkamen site in three shifts, six days a week.

Operational processing for IKEA will be fully operational by the end of June. An average of 8,000 stock keeping units (SKUs = stock keeping unit comprising all identical items of a specific product variant) will then be processed there. In total, the stock on site can be increased to up to 11,000 SKUs.

Some goods are sensitive and require special packaging. Special packaging machines are available for this purpose. The automation used at the Bergkamen site is the first of its kind and complexity in Germany. Complex conveyor automation systems are combined with robotics solutions from Locus and supplemented with so-called Packsize machines for particularly effective order picking. The system uses a cubist algorithm to calculate the ideal packaging size. As a result, packing material, filling material and volume weight can be significantly reduced.

"For DHL Supply Chain, this implementation is another important building block in the consistent expansion in the e-commerce sector, one of our strategic growth sectors, as well as in the continuation of our commercial automation and digitalization strategy for continuous improvement in operations," says Rainer Haag, Chief Executive Officer DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps (pictured).

"Thanks to the Locus robots, our employees in the warehouse are significantly relieved due to shorter walking distances and thus the effectiveness in the picking area is significantly increased. In conjunction with the employees working on site, the system increases the processing speed of each individual order, optimizes work processes for employees and improves operational efficiency," continues Rainer Haag.

Kai Fuhlrott, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager IKEA Germany, says: "The retail sector is changing worldwide. Part of this change is the permanently growing importance of online retail. The changing needs of our customers are the focus of our attention. We are delighted to be taking a further step towards providing our customers with an outstanding shopping experience at all times by opening the fulfillment site in Bergkamen for IKEA Germany. Whether they want to interact with IKEA online or in our stores." Kai Fuhlrott continues: "We are delighted to have found a new, competent partner in DHL Supply Chain, who has shown us new solutions and established a highly complex, tailor-made fulfillment solution at the Bergkamen site in a short space of time."

"The cooperation between two important and industry-leading companies here on site means a degree of security - for the city of Bergkamen as well as for the employees. In today's fast-moving times, this is an important aspect. For the city of Bergkamen, the A2 logistics park remains the right decision at the right time. I am convinced that the location has potential and offers the opportunity to continue to benefit from the growth of logistics - Germany's largest economic sector after the automotive industry and retail. Logistics is a strong, growth-oriented and future-oriented economic sector. It is therefore a welcome partner for the city of Bergkamen," explains Bernd Schäfer, Mayor of the city of Bergkamen.