Our team at OPSdesign® completed a distribution center design and automation roadmap project for an online retailer of perfume and personal products in the Southeast. The retailer needed a new 125,000 sq. ft. direct-to-consumer fulfillment operation that could support continued business growth, high carton flow, and scalable automation for both picking and replenishment.
OPSdesign developed a facility design concept for a new 125,000 sq. ft. distribution center dedicated to direct-to-consumer order fulfillment. The operation was designed around a high-volume order profile where most customer orders consisted of one to two units picked from shelving modules. To support that workflow, the design incorporated shelving-based pick areas, an outbound powered conveyor system, and sortation capacity planned for up to 1,800 cartons per hour.
In addition to the base facility design, OPSdesign prepared a phased automation roadmap using Locus autonomous mobile robots to support replenishment and picking operations. The roadmap began with 24 robots at launch and scaled to 35 robots over a five-year planning horizon, giving the client a practical path to reduce picker travel, improve labor productivity, and prepare the operation for future growth.
Details of Distribution Center Design & Automation Roadmap
125K
Square foot DTC facility designed
1,800
Cartons per hour sortation capacity
50-70%
Projected reduction in picker walking
The Challenge
The retailer needed a new 125,000 sq. ft. direct-to-consumer fulfillment operation able to support continued growth, high carton flow and scalable automation for picking and replenishment, with most orders consisting of one to two units picked from shelving.
What We Did
- Facility concept for a new 125,000 sq. ft. DTC distribution center
- Shelving-based fulfillment areas sized to the order profile
- Outbound powered conveyor and sortation up to 1,800 cartons per hour
- Phased autonomous mobile robot (AMR) plan for picking and replenishment
- Robotics scale-up from 24 robots at launch to 35 over five years
Results
- Integrated plan linking layout, conveyance, sortation and robotics
- Practical, phased path to future automation
- Foundation for current volume and future growth
Deliverables/Results
The engagement produced a scalable fulfillment design that connected the physical layout, shelving pick modules, outbound conveyance, sortation requirements, and mobile robotics strategy into one integrated plan. OPSdesign’s work helped the retailer define how the new distribution center could support current order volume while creating a practical foundation for future automation and growth.
- Delivered a facility design and a phased automation roadmap, from 24 robots at launch to 35 over five years.
- Established a scalable 125,000 sq. ft. fulfillment design to support business growth.
- Created an outbound automation concept with powered conveyor and sortation capacity up to 1,800 cartons per hour.
- Defined a phased Locus AMR implementation model for replenishment and picking.
- Projected a 50% to 70% reduction in picker walking distance, allowing pickers to spend more time on active picking tasks.
- Improved operational readiness by linking facility layout, automated conveyance, and mobile robotics in a coordinated design.
Distribution Center Design & Automation Built for Growth
Modern direct-to-consumer fulfillment requires an integrated approach that connects facility layout, outbound sortation, and robotics to drive peak productivity. Whether you need a ground-up facility layout, high-speed conveyor integration, or a phased mobile robotics plan, our team delivers custom distribution center design & automation strategies tailored to high-velocity order profiles.
Contact OPSdesign today to discuss your next distribution center design & automation project and discover how our engineering roadmaps can elevate your fulfillment performance.
