US retailer VF Corporation, which sells footwear brands such as Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies, is stepping up omnichannel distribution with a new California warehouse powered by a Vanderlande sorting system.
VF opened the 1.2 million square foot new distribution centre in Ontario, California, which will employ up to 550 people during peak periods, in early June. The centre’s 76-million-unit annual shipping capacity will initially service Vans® and The North Face® with the capability to add more VF brands in future.
Omnichannel distribution
The new facility, which is the largest and most efficient in VF’s global network of 46 DCs, has the capacity to ship 485,000 units per day – twice the processing capacity and efficiency compared to a traditional distribution centre.
Products will be distributed to the company’s own retail stores and wholesale customers, while fulfilling next day e-commerce orders for consumers in California, Nevada, Arizona and southern Utah.
Vanderlande FASTPICK solution
VF selected Vanderlande to supply its highly automated FASTPICK system for the new DC because of its flexible and scalable design. The goods-to-person (GtP) system, which incorporates innovative ADAPTO shuttle technology, is capable of delivering high-performance sequencing on a relatively small footprint, making it both an efficient and sustainable solution.
Vanderlande’s end-to-end solution covers all operations from receiving and storage, through to picking, packing and shipping. ADAPTO, Vanderlande’s shuttle-based automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), is central to the operation. The AS/RS supplies orders to the 28 ergonomically designed, height-adjustable GtP workstations, which are capable of handling 10,500 order lines per hour.
Faster deliveries
“We are proud to introduce VF’s largest and most efficient distribution centre to date,” said Cameron Bailey, VF’s Executive Vice President Global Supply Chain. “Servicing our consumers and customers is our number one focus. This facility allows us to get our products to our consumers faster using technologically advanced equipment, which results in reduced lead times and increased efficiency in meeting consumer demand.”
“We’re delighted to partner with VF to implement our market-leading, future-proof automated warehouse solutions,” commented Francisco Moreno Velo, Vanderlande’s President of Warehouse Solutions North America. “FASTPICK’s flexibility will help the company meet customer demand across all sectors – wholesale, retail and e-commerce – while providing an ergonomic working environment for its operators.”
Existing partnership
The collaboration builds on a solid foundation, as the two companies have already successfully executed three warehousing projects in Europe, the Dutch technology company noted.
