FIEGE to build one of Germany’s largest Autostores for Sportscheck
The family-owned company from Greven in Westphalia is implementing a major automation project together with the sports shop retailer at the Apfelstädt site – on an area of almost 10,000 square metres.
FIEGE is building a flagship automation project for its long-time client, Sportscheck. The logistics company from Greven will be setting up one of Germany’s largest Autostores at its multi-user facility in Apfelstädt, south-west of Erfurt, on an area of roughly 10,000 square metres. In the future, 270,000 containers will be moved in and out by 160 robots working at FIEGE’s logistics centre based near the capital of the State of Thuringia. The investment total for the acquisition and integration of the Autostore as well as wide-ranging conveyor technology and automated packaging machinery which is to be completed by the end of the year and fully operational by summer 2023, exceeds 40 million euros.
“The fast-paced omnichannel business makes maximum product availability and minimum lead times crucial success factors. This Autostore will give Sportscheck an integrative and scalable system that meets these requirements”, comments Stephan Wittenbrink, Managing Director Fashion & Lifestyle at FIEGE. Since 2014, FIEGE has been handling amongst other things the merchandise for the sports shop retailer in Apfelstädt, taking care of warehousing, the Germany-wide supply of branches, eCommerce fulfilment and returns management as well as B2C parcel freight within Germany and to Austria.
The ultra-modern warehouse system will replace the current pouch sorter, which will be available for other customers in the future. “Since the product range, the customers’ needs and therefore the requirements of the logistics concept have evolved over time, the addition of an Autostore is the logical continuation”, Wittenbrink explains. “The flexible container storage system provides much greater storage capacity on a clearly smaller area and reduces the manual order picking input to a minimum. This then frees our employees of repetitive tasks and instead allows them to add value to process flows which in light of a shortage of skilled labour is becoming increasingly important.”
The Autostore is connected to the storage and automated packaging stations via special conveyor technology. FIEGE is equally in charge of the installation, as Frank Maron, FIEGE Engineering points out: “Thanks to our experience and our know-how, we can provide integrated automation solutions to our customers that meet their respective requirements and also contribute significantly towards a simplification of processes in addition to saving time.”
Christian Marzinzik, CFO Sportscheck GmbH is also highly pleased about the joint project: “The past years has seen us continually grow our business with FIEGE. Our partnership is defined by mutual trust and a very open exchange. We are excited to have now signed a further long-term contract. With this Autostore, FIEGE will contribute significantly towards raising our logistical processing and hence the service for our customers to a completely new level.”
