Only one year after the installation of AutoStore®, XXL experienced radical efficiency boost, crucial space utilization improvement, reduced lead-times to XXL stores and less picking errors. The ROI of the project was also beyond expected.

XXL Sport og Villmark is the largest and fastest growing sports chain in the Nordic Region. Continuous growth put increasing pressure on storing and handling capacity – leading to the need for manual warehouse adjustments. The solution was Element Logic’s AutoStore and eManager warehouse execution, management, and control system.

“We are highly dependent on efficient logistics to provide our customers with famous brands at low prices. Our cooperation with Element Logic is one of the major success factors for obtaining a highly efficient and low-cost supply chain”, says Geir Nielsen, Nordic Warehouse Manager XXL.

Investment beyond expected

Phase 1 of AutoStore® with eManager was dedicated to textile assortment – the segment with the most potential saving for more effective storage and handling.

Phase 2 enabled XXL to follow their vision –” If the article fits into AutoStore – it goes into AutoStore!”, expanding the system with 4x storage capacity and 4x transaction capacity.

“The project was smooth and painless, and we’re especially satisfied with being able to use the system 100% from day one. The fact that cost reductions are better than estimated makes it even better”, says Nielsen.

Built for future growth

In 2013 XXL built a brand-new Warehouse Distribution Center in Örebro, Sweden. The warehouse serves XXL’s strong growth in the Swedish and Finnish market, as well as upcoming new markets in Europe.

“When we decided to establish the Swedish Distribution Center, it was important for XXL to get it up and running as soon as possible. According to our request, I think Element Logic set a new world record in putting an automated system into operation; they only spent two months from start to finish, enabling our DC to perform at its best from day one”, says Nielsen.

He continues:

“The success we experienced with eManager and AutoStore in Norway made the choice easy when we decided to establish a warehouse in Sweden. An investment in AutoStore® and eManager from Element Logic is a guarantee for our efficient and low-cost supply chain”.