100+ AMRs deployed as pandemic sales jump

Catch Group is part of the Wesfarmers Group and one of Australia’s largest online retailers. The company sells products ranging from clothing, grocery, furniture, and more.

Industry: Retail
Location: Australia and New Zealand

Catch Group needed a productivity solution amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The retailer’s goal was to:

• Implement the solution in a shorter time frame
• Achieve flexibility without compromising scalability or serviceability
• Rising demand in eCommerce during the pandemic puts stress on Catch Group’s fulfillment capability

Catch Group partnered with Körber to deploy Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) at the company’s distribution center.

This meant:

• Deployment of Körber’s AMR solution
• Roll out of over 100 AMRs
• Largest deployment of AMR technology in Australia and New Zealand

Once Körber’s AMR solution went live, Catch Group saw promising results:

• Ability to pick 2000 more orders an hour
• Capability to manage an additional 80,000 SKUs
• Expanded storage capacity and increased speed of delivery

Catch Group was acquired by Wesfarmers in 2020, adding thousands of additional SKUs to its already extensive range of products and brands. Since the company’s beginning, Catch has experienced success as an early innovator in the Australian eCommerce market. With the help of Körber’s AMR solution, Catch Group has risen to meet the demand since COVID-19 began driving more consumers online. The deployment will take around three months, helping Catch Group accelerate its online fulfillment capabilities. Catch’s goal is to move towards offering same-day delivery to customers. Catch Group values the efficiency, extra capacity, and all other benefits AMRs bring to their warehouse operations. Seeing a near 70 percent increase in total sales for the second half of FY20, Catch knew it was time for additional support. Catch Group is positioning the retailer for success as COVID-19 will only continue to drive eCommerce to record highs.