BIKE24 Automates Its New Logistics Center With AutoStore

Established in 2002, BIKE24 is a preeminent online retailer for bicycle parts and accessories in Europe. With a team of approximately 450 employees, the company caters to customers from over 80 countries, annually shipping around 1,500,000 parcels — a figure that is consistently growing.

In 2017, BIKE24 overhauled its logistics to ensure the most efficient order management and minimal delivery times. To combat space constraints and circumvent the need for relocation, BIKE24 implemented a compact AutoStore warehouse management solution at its Dresden headquarters, enabling the company to increase its storage capacity without compromising on available space.

To sustain its yearly double-digit growth targets and expedite delivery across Europe, BIKE24 is investing in additional warehouse automation technology for its new logistics center in Lliçà d'Amunt, Barcelona.

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The challenge

Saving money — and the planet

Sustainability is a cornerstone of BIKE24's operations. Since 2020, the company has been carbon-neutral, offering climate-friendly shipping options to customers irrespective of the parcel service. The commitment to reduce its impact on the environment needed to come without sacrificing the company’s ability to retain — and grow — profits.

The AutoStore automated warehouse storage system, accompanied by complementary conveyor technology, is set to streamline its operations. Intralogistics solution provider Kardex was entrusted with the task of planning and executing this comprehensive solution, reinforcing BIKE24's commitment to sustainability, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

The benefits of the AutoStore system

Exceeding sustainability targets

Implementing an automated warehouse solution at the heart of their logistics center marked a significant stride in BIKE24's commitment to bolstering sustainability. AutoStore demands only a fraction of the energy compared to traditional automated storage systems: 10 AutoStore Robots consume less power than a typical vacuum cleaner, with energy being replenished to the batteries whenever a bin is lowered or a robot decelerates. The system’s compact design also eliminates the need for aisles between shelves, significantly reducing lighting requirements and other energy costs.

In addition to the significant reduction in energy use, BIKE24 also:

• Experienced a considerable boost in productivity
• Doubled storage capacity (a pivotal advancement in their growth strategy)
• Future-proofed operations with the ability to quickly and easily expand the system without disrupting ongoing activities

How the system works

Goods-to-person instead of person-to-goods

The Barcelona logistics center comprises two 5,000 m² (16,404 ft²) warehouses, which will be stocked not only by the Dresden facility but also directly by suppliers.

AutoStore Bins, with internal dimensions of 603 x 403 x 312 mm (23.7 x 15.8 x 12.2 inches), accommodate 90% of BIKE24's products. The remaining items are stored in either the manual shelf warehouse, the pallet warehouse, or the flexible block warehouse. Orders requiring items from these manual storage areas are collected on picking trolleys and completed using a route-optimized multi-order picking process.

Intelligent AutoStore Robots handle order processing, retrieving storage Bins and presenting them to workstations (Ports). Operators then place items from the inventory bins into shipping cartons, label them, and seal them. These cartons are moved directly from the workstations to the dispatch area via a conveyor belt.

This order fulfillment solution ensures orders arrive at packing stations in batches, allowing for quick and effective consolidation. In the dispatch area, customer orders are sorted and loaded according to carrier and region, further optimizing the delivery process.

Serving as the logistical hub, the adaptable AutoStore automated warehouse system can accommodate 90,000 storage Bins in a 2,112 m² (6,929 ft²) floor area for the first expansion phase. Fifty Red Line Robots retrieve, rearrange, and transport storage Bins along the Grid rails. The system includes 10 ergonomic AutoStore workstations, or Carousel Ports, for both picking and replenishment, with operators able to toggle between these functions at a touch. Should capacity or performance demands increase, BIKE24 has the option to seamlessly incorporate additional Robots and Ports into the system.

System overview

AutoStore: 10 Carousel Ports (picking and replenishment); 50 Robots; 90,000 Bins.