Metro Supply Chain plans to further invest in excess of $150 million in its fulfillment network to provide customers with highly automated ecommerce solutions

Metro Supply Chain plans to further invest more than $150 million to highly automate several of its fulfillment facilities to provide some of the world’s fastest growing and most reputable brands with ecommerce solutions that deliver a rapid, reliable and seamless experience for their customers. In addition, the company continues to invest significantly in business intelligence capabilities that integrate fully into the automated solutions to offer customers the insights they need to make better operational, financial and business decisions.

The first facility being outfitted is a 285,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building in Bolton, Ontario, dedicated to the apparel and footwear sector.

“As real estate and labour costs continue to rise, and consumer demand wildly fluctuates in today’s complex, ecommerce-driven environment, businesses require an innovative strategy that boosts their time to market, delivers cost certainty and predictability, and builds capacity for future growth,” explains Martin Graham, Group President of Metro Supply Chain.

Following an extensive review, Metro Supply Chain selected for its first facility AutoStore, a leading, global cube storage and order fulfillment system powered by warehouse robots that quadruples storage capacity, offers fast access to inventory, and significantly reduces energy consumption.

Bastian Solutions will implement AutoStore into this facility and integrate it with automated conveyors, high-capacity packing stations, and high-density, very narrow aisle (VNA) racking to create a forward-looking ecommerce and unit pick solution that solves for both the seasonal and the unexpected peaks businesses face as customers continue to shop where, when, and how they wish.

“To deliver on their customer promise, companies need to become even more strategic in creating a transparent, demand-response model fueled by the right capabilities and technologies. We’re pleased to provide businesses with an automated, scalable ecommerce solution that gets them quicker to market and supports their long-term growth,” says Chiko Nanji, CEO and Group Chairman of Metro Supply Chain.

About Metro Supply Chain
Metro Supply Chain is a strategic supply chain solutions partner for some of the world’s fastest growing and most recognizable organizations. Managing more than 12 million square feet in over 96 sites across North America and Europe with a team of 6,000, it is the largest privately-owned supply chain solutions company based in Canada. For almost 50 years, Metro Supply Chain’s scale, wide capabilities and entrepreneurial structure has enabled it to meet its customers’ most challenging supply chain needs, including the creation of complex e-commerce fulfillment and last-mile delivery networks.