Music retailer to build automated warehouse

Thomann is know for its e-commerce success across Europe and serves almost eight million customers, fulfilling up to 20,000 orders each day with a value of two to three million euros.

Planning to further improve customer service, Thomann expects the €27 million investment in a new, larger warehouse will enable it to improve its delivery times significantly. 

The heart of the new logistics centre is a TGW Stingray shuttle warehouse with six aisles and 110,000 storage locations on 25 levels. This will be complemented by a five-aisle automated carton warehouse, which will store guitars, e-pianos and other music equipment up to 1.55 metres in size. The goods in the distribution centre will be transported using KingDrive conveyor technology.

The shuttle system supplies twelve pick and pack stations, with products picked directly from the warehouse totes into shipping cartons of various sizes. Upstream consolidation buffers will consolidate the SKUs from the various warehouse areas, with four new sequencer towers consolidating goods from the existing warehouse and the new logistics centre prior to packing for the end customer. The TGW Software Suite completes TGW's scope of supply. 

The current operation will not be affected by the development. Once the new distribution centre is operational, the existing warehouse will be reorganised using the same software, ensuring all installations work and communicate seamlessly. The result will be a comprehensive, state-of-the-art supply chain solution that will help the business to maintain and to build on its market-leading position.

The appointment extends the relationship between the two organisations, which has existed since 2009.