Against the backdrop of continuously increasing demand, the online supermarket Picnic B.V. is setting up an additional fulfillment center in the Netherlands. The Dutch system integrator Inther Group has been awarded the contract for automating the intralogistics. After Inther successfully automated the Picnic logistics center in Dordrecht near Rotterdam last summer, the current contract award for the new fulfillment center marks the second collaboration between the two companies, as stated recently in a press release from the Inther Group. “Increasing labor productivity is an issue that plays a role in many industries,” explains Picnic co-founder Frederik Nieuwenhuys regarding the renewed contract award to the system integrator. “The collaboration with Inther is good, and it’s great that assembly and production for the European market are taking place at Inther in Venray.”
For the new Picnic fulfillment center, Inther has developed an automation concept for the intralogistics processes.
“True to our slogan 'Improving Intralogistics', we have developed a fast but solid automation solution,” said Martijn Herder, CEO of the Inther Group. “With a new generation of warehouse robotization, we ensure, for example, that heavy tasks are taken over by robots.”
The foundation for automated logistics is a conveyor system based on Inther's own "ICE" products ("Inther Conveyor Equipment"). The system integrator also integrates peripheral products from Apollo, Qimarox, AWL, and Niverplast into the best-of-breed solution. This design offers, among other things, a mechanized solution for the efficient processing of a wide range of items. To reduce walking distances, their products are transferred from an automated storage system to goods-to-person workstations during picking. The project implementation is scheduled for spring 2026.
The experiences that both parties gain in this project will flow into future joint implementation projects by Inther and Picnic. The companies are already planning the next step with a collaboration on the equipment of a future logistics center in Germany.
“In planning the new location in the Netherlands, we have already considered this as a blueprint for further Picnic expansion in Germany as well,” highlights Inther CEO Herder. “Together with our German branch and the international experience that Inther has gained over 27 years in setting up intralogistics systems worldwide, we will optimally meet the demand for automation of intralogistics in Picnic's German fulfillment center.”
