Cdiscount Paris, France: increasing storage capacity through our warehouse automation system

Discover how Cdiscount leveraged the Exotec^® Skypod^® system to achieve a fivefold increase in both throughput and storage capacity.

French e-Commerce leader and pioneer of responsible e-Commerce, Cdiscount offers its nearly nine million customers an assortment of 80 million products in a wide variety of categories such as IT, household appliances, furniture and decoration, bedding, DIY, gardening, games and toys, sport, and more.

Cdiscount’s logistics operations are managed by its subsidiary, C-Logistics. Functioning not only as the logistical backbone for Cdiscount but also as a trusted service provider for marketplace sellers and external clients, C-Logistics orchestrates the dispatch of nearly 20 million parcels annually across 27 European countries.

Following a successful pilot project initiated in 2017 at its logistics hub near Bordeaux, Cdiscount has once again chosen Exotec^® to implement a second Skypod^® system at its logistics facility in Réau, near Paris. Spanning an expansive 60,000 square meters, the Réau site handles storage, preparation, and dispatch of a diverse array of products, including DIY items, sports equipment, home furnishings, electrical appliances, and more.

Launched in 2019 with 48,000 bins providing around 60,000 storage locations, the Réau Skypod system has performed with a high degree of success, prompting C-Logistics to enhance its capabilities further. In 2023, an additional 13,000 bins will be integrated.

“This extension coincides with our strategy to increase activity at the Réau site, which is directly linked to our external customers,” explains Stéphane Limpalaer, Director of the C-Logistics Réau site.

Beyond augmenting storage capacity to meet escalating demands, C-Logistics enjoys the flexibility of deploying extra robots during peak periods, ensuring optimal performance at the Réau site under all circumstances.

1. Increased Efficiency

• Order picking performance increased by 5x, enabling four operators to process 900 bins per hour across four picking stations
• Storage density increased by 5x with high-density storage racks extending to ceiling
• Quick expansion of the storage footprint in 2023 from 48,000 to over 60,000 bins
• Efficiently navigating seasonal peaks with robot rentals

2. Continued Partnership

• Cdiscount and its subsidiary, C-Logistics, have demonstrated renewed trust in our services by selecting us to provide the solution for this pivotal second site, integral to the company’s strategic growth

“In e-Commerce, we are subject to volume peaks depending on commercial events […] Exotec enables us to increase the capacity of the Skypod system by adding extra robots.”

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