John Lewis is preparing for the hectic Christmas season by deploying some of the tallest autonomous robots in western Europe, significantly enhancing its warehouse capabilities.

Standing at ten meters tall, the retailer’s fleet of 60 Hai robots streamlines the order picking, packing, and sorting processes, thereby boosting productivity across the warehouse.

Launched in February as part of a £400 million investment initiative at its Milton Keynes distribution center, these robots have already contributed to £1 million in cost savings and a 75% increase in storage efficiency since their implementation.

John Munnelly, the distribution director at John Lewis, explained how the robots operate: they navigate a large wrap grid to bring products to various departments, ensuring timely fulfillment of customer orders.

He noted, “Unlike traditional warehouses where staff walk around with trolleys searching for stock, we utilize automation to bring the stock directly to employees for packing, making the process much more efficient.”

The distribution facilities at Magna Park and Fenny Lock cover an expansive 3.2 million square feet, equivalent to 50 football fields, allowing John Lewis to stock a diverse range of products, from festive children’s jumpers to aromatic candles.

The company’s investment in automation is poised to enhance its operational capabilities during the busy pre-Christmas period. With Black Friday approaching, John Lewis anticipates reporting sales reaching £100 million per week in November, effectively doubling its usual weekly online sales figures.

Previously, John Lewis also integrated 60 Locus robots to assist in retrieving items from warehouse shelves, thereby reducing the manual effort required for warehouse staff.

“Our goal has been to transform the traditional pick-tower warehouse into a more efficient operation through the adoption of robotics,” Munnelly stated.

During the critical holiday season, the retailer amplifies its reliance on this technology by renting an additional 60 robots to ensure efficient processing of customer orders, with expectations to pack and dispatch around 17 million products leading up to Christmas.