The hall is being built on the site of a former industrial wasteland in Contera Park Ostrava D1. The new distribution center will supply both stores and Sportisimo customers who have ordered via the online store. The future solution will focus on the aspect of automation.

The contract between Sportisimo and intralogistics specialist SSI Schaefer was signed in May 2021. Project planning is currently in full swing and construction of the hall has also begun. The new facility is scheduled to go into operation in January 2023, which according to SSI Schaefer is a record time for such a large and complex project. In the future, Sportisimo will supply both its stores and online customers in the Czech Republic and the surrounding countries of Central and Eastern Europe from Contera Park Ostrava D1.

"More than 6,000 meters of conveyor technology from SSI Schaefer will be installed in the Sportisimo hall, connecting the various warehouse areas - from depalletizing to incoming goods to the automated small parts warehouse (AKL) and the picking area to shipping. Along the conveyor lines, 150 work stations are set up where all orders and returns are brought together. The mini-load warehouse is designed to be 23 meters high and currently has eleven aisles with a capacity of over 300,000 cartons. It receives cartons that come directly from the suppliers. The plan for the future is to expand the small parts warehouse with additional aisles," explains Marian Gono, Managing Director of SSI Schaefer Systems International in the Czech Republic.

He adds that a four-storey pick tower is to be built next to the AKL. This consists of racks with aisles. Additional conveyor technology will be housed in a central aisle, as well as work stations where the picked orders will be consolidated. Furthermore, a large steel platform will be built in the hall, which will be manufactured at the SSI Schaefer Group plant in Hranice na Moravě. This platform will house the picking stations for packing orders and preparing them for dispatch.

"From the very beginning, we have tried to keep transportation routes as short as possible when delivering the material before assembly. That's why we make full use of our production facility in Hranice na Moravě, which significantly reduces our carbon footprint. And, we are not only shortening transport routes, but also supporting the Czech economy," emphasizes Marian Gono.