Every grocery retailer wants to keep their shelves stocked with high-quality fresh foods, such as produce, dairy products, and baked goods. To maintain optimal freshness, these products need to move through the supply chain to the store as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, delays often occur during distribution, which ultimately lead to premature spoilage and unhappy customers.

Within distribution centers, fresh and perishable food handling is usually the most inefficient and labor-intensive part of operations. Employees still pick and prepare orders by hand, and most companies struggle to find and retain workers willing to do the job. Also, fresh products tend to come in packaging that’s difficult to handle, like clamshell cases. Accidental spills and product damage are common, causing further delays. Overall, the process is cumbersome and prone to error.

Why haven’t more grocery retailers addressed these inefficiencies with automation? Previous generations of automated systems just couldn’t provide the speed needed for fresh and perishable food distribution. So, automation investments in the grocery industry have largely focused on handling shelf-stable goods.

But that’s all changing today.

A Modern Take on Fresh and Perishable Food Distribution  

Now, grocery retailers can take advantage of a modern breed of automation specifically designed for fresh and perishable food distribution. Robotic hardware and intelligent control software work together to store, retrieve, pick, palletize, and ship fresh products — with far greater speed, efficiency, and accuracy than manual handling could achieve.  

Modern automated systems meet the need for speed by integrating buffer storage and order picking into one seamless operation. As soon as fresh products enter the distribution center, or come off the production line, they enter the automated system and are immediately available for picking. This set-up ensures fresh foods spend much less time in the distribution center, and reach stores with maximum shelf life.

Another major benefit of modern fresh food automation? Grocery retailers can introduce these solutions into their existing distribution centers. No new facility construction is required.

The Benefits of Choosing a Retrofit over New Construction

Constructing a brand new, state-of-the-art automated distribution center can be a great option. But it’s not always ideal (or even feasible) for everyone that wants to automate. New construction projects are very expensive, and involve very long timelines. Grocery retailers need significant budget and resources to make this approach a reality. In addition, there’s the need to disrupt active operations during a move from an old facility to the new one.

Retrofits are a great alternative. Grocery retailers can get all the benefits of automation without the high costs, complicated planning stages, and lengthy implementations that come along with building an entirely new facility. Plus, retrofits are also the more environmentally friendly option for those who are serious about sustainability. With a retrofit project, grocery retailers can make the most of what they already have. They’ll expend far fewer resources and limit their environmental impact.

What to Consider When Selecting an Automated Solution 

Of course, not all automated solutions are created equal when it comes to modernizing an existing fresh food distribution center. When exploring their options, grocery retailers should consider the following important factors:  

Flexibility. Every distribution center has its own layout and space limitations. So, grocery retailers need to invest in an automated solution that’s flexible enough to fit into their unique facility footprint. Modular systems are the best option, since they are composed of individual cells of automation. Each module is pre-engineered to a standardized design. Like “building blocks” of automation, the modules can be configured into the ideal layout for any building and application. They even fit older buildings with low ceilings.

Scalability. Fresh food distribution centers need to be ready to adapt to any change — whether it’s ramping up during short-term seasonal peaks, or expanding capacity to accommodate long-term business growth. So when they’re exploring automation, grocery retailers may be concerned about making a huge up-front investment, only to outgrow their system down the road. A modular solution can ease these fears.

Modular solutions enable a phased approach to automating that’s cost-effective. Grocery retailers can start small, introducing modules where automation will make the biggest impact for a quick ROI. And during implementation, the rest of the facility can continue running with minimal disruption. More modules can easily be added in stages over time, so grocers get a solution that grows with their business, long term.  

Space utilization. Grocery distribution centers now need to house a growing number of SKUs to meet customer demand for variety. When retrofitting an existing facility, it’s important to make the most of available storage space. Typical storage set-ups require rows upon rows of expensive shelving systems, and wide aisles that eat up valuable space.
 
Instead, distribution centers can utilize automation that combines overhead gantry robots and floor-based storage. SKUs are housed in sturdy, standardized plastic crates, which stack securely and protect products from damage. Gantry robots stack the crates directly on the facility floor in high-density storage areas. When picking orders, the gantry robots quickly retrieve any required SKU from overhead. This unique approach to storage requires 50% less space than a typical setup, so fresh food distribution centers can accommodate SKU growth.

Food safety and sanitation. Food safety and facility sanitation are top priorities in any distribution center that handles fresh and perishable foods. The right automated solution can address these needs in a few important ways.

First, grocery retailers should look for a solution that supports traceability for each product throughout the distribution process. Each packaged product gets labeled with a unique barcode, so the system can track its movements through the facility. A warehouse management system (WMS) automatically stores all data to satisfy traceability requirements.  

Additionally, modular gantry systems with floor-based storage make facility sanitation simple. Gantry robots can completely clear the floor in just minutes for routine cleaning, or when there’s an accidental spill. Sanitation can be done module by module, so other areas of the facility can keep running while one area is cleaned.  

Lifetime support. Finally, a successful distribution center modernization project requires more than the right robotics and software. People are another key piece of the puzzle. Grocery retailers need a knowledgeable partner who provides support from initial planning, through installation, and beyond.

An automation provider with experience in fresh food handling can design a unique solution to optimize material flow within any existing facility. They can pinpoint the ideal starting points for the biggest and quickest ROI, then plan a roadmap for future expansion.  As the project progresses, the right automation partner will train distribution center staff on proper system usage and upkeep. Thorough training ensures everyone is ready to work alongside automation and knows how to prevent potential problems in the future.

And after the system is handed off, distribution center staff won’t be doing it alone. Great automation providers offer lifetime support, including repairs, preventive maintenance and future upgrades.

Competition in the grocery industry will only continue to grow. Grocery retailers shouldn’t let outdated facilities and processes hold them back from winning over customers with consistently fresh, high-quality foods. The right automation technology, strategy, and partner will put grocery retailers and their existing distribution centers on the fast track to the future of fresh food distribution.

Adam Gurga is sales manager for North America, Cimcorp.