"Dematic has impressively demonstrated its extensive expertise in the implementation of AutoStore systems and convincingly demonstrated the synergies that result from cooperation with other brands of the parent company KION Group," says Jean-Louis Borde, head of logistics activities at the ERAM Group. The family-run company, which is based in France and has an international presence, plans to bundle the logistics flows of its shoe brands - including Gémo, ERAM, Bocage and Mellow Yellow - in a new distribution center in the Loire Valley. The 40,000 square meter facility is being built in Chemillé-en-Anjou, around 300 kilometers southwest of Paris.

Impressive compactness and high storage capacity

A decisive criterion for choosing the Dematic solution over comparable offerings was the particularly compact design of the AutoStore system, which will be integrated into the new distribution center. This offers a higher storage capacity in the same space and can be flexibly expanded as required.

The Dematic solution automates both order picking and palletizing and includes a space-saving AutoStore system, which should significantly increase the efficiency of order processing at the ERAM Group. The system is supplemented by an incoming goods conveyor belt with two automatic unloading units for trucks and containers as well as a further conveyor belt for sorting parcels before subsequent palletizing.

The AutoStore system itself comprises 80,000 containers, 84 robots and 16 workstations and enables highly automated, flexible order processing. One robot opens the cartons and another stores unsaleable goods in the system. A packing station is provided for the picking process, from which the orders are forwarded directly to the dispatch area via a conveyor belt.

All picking and fulfillment processes are controlled by Dematic's Warehouse Control Software (WCS). It ensures that both logistical requirements and customer satisfaction expectations are reliably met. The solution can also be seamlessly integrated into the ERAM Group's existing IT infrastructure.

The project is already being implemented. Completion and commissioning are scheduled for the 4th quarter of 2026.

"The start of a promising partnership"

Alain Bussod, President of Dematic France, sums up: "We are delighted to be working with the ERAM Group, an outstanding French family business and iconic brand. This project marks the beginning of a promising partnership based on shared values and a shared vision of quality and innovation."