The Challenge 

All the requirements that defined the warehouse in Tornesch over 15 years ago have increased significantly in the meantime, with the site handling 80,000 bottles per hour at its peak. In the 2023 financial year, a total of 2.4 million parcels were shipped. The storage volume currently comprises around 25,000 pallet spaces and up to 200,000 article units (SKUs). Also due to the continuing growth in the online segment, the logistics service provider decided on modernization measures that offer entrepreneurial freedom for further growth. 

A solution that was both efficient and space-saving was required, which would offer a high degree of flexibility against the backdrop of seasonal fluctuations and growing staff shortages in logistics. So the decision was made to comprehensively expand the previous storage area and to use an autonomous, mobile robotics system in cooperation with the manufacturer Geekplus.

With the support of our partner, Körber Supply Chain, since 2006, HAWESKO and IWL have been relying on a logistics ecosystem based on the K.Motion WMS (Warehouse Management System) at the Tornesch site in order to meet the complex challenges of the mail order business.  

Our Solution

Geekplus has collaborated with Körber Supply Chain to deploy 21 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at Hawesko’s warehouse. These robots will automate order-fulfillment processes across 330 shelves in the newly expanded 6,000-sq.-m (64,583-sq.-ft.) facility. 

The Geekplus impact

The advantages of the solution can be broken down on many levels. With the commissioning of the new solution, IWL has also recorded significant improvements in the area of goods handling. In the expansion area, only C-parts are picked; Items that are associated with higher procurement and process costs. In many places, the potential for optimization is higher in C-parts handling than in A- or B-handling, and reveals cost savings that are also becoming increasingly important for customer loyalty. 

About Customer

In recent decades, HAWESKO has developed from a classic catalogue mail order business to the market leader in online wine sales. With a share of around 25 percent in the premium and luxury segment, HAWESKO is now considered the market leader in Germany – and the No. 1 premium wine retailer in Europe. In three segments, the group of companies generated sales of over 671.5 million euros in the 2022 financial year. The Group's goal has remained unchanged since 2015: to become Europe's largest, most innovative and most profitable premium wine trading group.