CARLISLE, PA. - The GIANT Company is partnering with Swisslog to add automation technology featuring AutoStore to its new GIANT Direct e-commerce fulfillment center in Philadelphia. The technology at the facility will allow the retailer to fulfill orders faster and grow home grocery delivery. The center is anticipated to open in November.
“When we launched GIANT Direct in 2019, we knew that online grocery shopping was going to be a gamechanger for the industry, so it was important for us to build a platform that exceeded expectations and clearly stood out among others in the space,” said Nicholas Bertram, president of The GIANT Company. “The time is right for us to invest in a new e-commerce fulfillment center as part of our omnichannel evolution, and Swisslog and Autostore are the right partners to help us transform and elevate the online grocery experience for families in Philadelphia.”
Swisslog will build out the fulfillment center’s capabilities with AutoStore’s robotic storage and retrieval system which will be supported with Swisslog’s SynQ and pick stations. GIANT is also partnering with Peapod Digital Labs, and Ahold Delhaize company to streamline order fulfillment. The new center is expected to fulfill approximately 15,000 orders a week to deliver to customers.
Angel Cordero, a 20-year grocery veteran, will manage the new facility, which is expected to employ over 200 people.
As part of its omnichannel strategy, GIANT is also adding geofencing technology to its GIANT Direct app so customers can enable location services when en route to pick up their groceries. When a customer is on their way, store teams will be able to gather and prepare the order to have ready upon the customer’s arrival.
GIANT has also deployed grocery pickup lockers to select stores that allow customers to pick up their order contact-free by scanning a QR code or entering a PIN.