Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN), a leading lifestyle products and services company, which operates a portfolio of global consumer brands comprised of Anthropologie, BHLDN, Free People, Terrain, Urban Outfitters, Nuuly and a Food and Beverage division, has appointed TGW to design and implement an automation solution for their new fulfilment centre in the UK. The project is due to go live in 2021.

A FlashPick® system is at the heart of the solution. At goods receiving, cartons are emptied into totes and transported to the mini-load warehouse, which is used to feed the Stingray shuttle. Totes are then transported to 15 goods-to-person workstations, where items are picked into either target cartons or totes.

The different areas are connected by an energy-efficient KingDrive® conveyor system. The TGW warehouse control system interfaces with a Manhattan WMS. Furthermore, TGW´s smart picking robot Rovolution will be installed at the URBN distribution centre.

Highly-automated logistics centre

“TGW impressed us during the RFP process, demonstrating a clarity of thinking which is necessary when considering a strategic solution for our complex product range,” explains Iain Bartholomew, URBN’s International & European Logistics Director. “The new facility located in Peterborough will be highly automated, incorporate robotics and provides the capacity necessary to support our fast-growing business. TGW supported us to design a modular solution we believe is simple, flexible and adaptable to the future needs of our customers,” Bartholomew says.