Finland's leading grocery chain opens the first micro-fulfillment center (MFC) in the Pirkanmaa Region – developed by Swisslog
23 August 2024
Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society (Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa), a regional cooperative of the Finnish S Group, opened the first micro-fulfillment center (MFC) for online grocery shopping in the Pirkanmaa Region, in August 2024.
“The center utilizes the Prisma hypermarket’s infrastructure. Products from the basic selection will be collected from the warehouse with the assistance of robots, and the order will be supplemented, if necessary, with products from the adjacent Prisma hypermarket, such as fresh food, bakery items, frozen products, and daily consumer goods. Robots make the collection process more efficient and faster by rapidly bringing the products to the warehouse staff. However, employees will continue to ensure the quality of the products and pack the order for pick-up,” says Ville Jylhä, COO of the Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society.
The center serves customers in the Pirkanmaa Region with increasing demand for online grocery shopping, which grew by 27 percent last year compared to the year before. In the first half of 2024, sales have increased by almost 30 percent from the previous year. For the customers, the center will mean more order time slots and faster deliveries.
“The new center will enable us to double our online grocery sales capacity compared with last year. In recent years, across the S Group, we have systematically invested in the development of online grocery shopping to meet customers’ needs. I believe there will be demand for at least two new micro-fulfillment centers in the region in the near future. Buying food online is undoubtedly a simple way to make daily life easier,” says Ville Jylhä.
Swisslog, a pioneer in market-proven e-grocery and automated order fulfillment solutions, has delivered Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society’s automation solution.
“We are very happy that Pirkanmaa Osuuskauppa chose us as a partner for their first micro-fulfillment center. Our work has gone according to plan, and we look forward to the continued operation of this innovative and efficient facility,” says Tero Mäki, Sales Manager, Swisslog.
The new center is 1,400 m² and consists of 40 AutoStore-robots, employing around 50 people in various roles. With this solution, e-grocery deliveries will be faster, more precise, and much more efficient.
About the S Group
The S Group is a Finnish customer-owned trading and service group with over 1,800 locations in Finland. The Group consists of 19 independent regional trading teams, one of which is Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa. Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society operates grocery stores and restaurants in 115 locations in the Pirkanmaan region.
Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society stands for food services and excellent customer experiences. We are owned by 220,000 co-op members. As a cooperative, our goal is to make the lives of our customers easier and promote their wellbeing. We offer our co-op members benefits from our operations in the form of more affordable prices, rewards, and high-quality services at more than a hundred locations and online through the work of our 3,000 employees.
About Swisslog
Swisslog delivers data-driven & robotic solutions for your logistics automation alongside reliable, modular service concepts. Collaborating with forward-thinking companies, we are committed to setting new standards in warehouse automation to provide future-proof products and solutions. As part of the KUKA Group, our customers trust the competence of our passionate employees – more than 15,000 people working across the globe.
Contact
Tero Mäki
Sales Manager
Tel: +358 503 578 789
E-mail: tero.maki@swisslog.com
