HelloFresh Expand Temperature-Controlled SKU Capacity

Locus Robotics has announced that a cold-storage hardware modification developed for HelloFresh has enabled the world’s leading meal kit company to expand chilled fulfillment capacity from 100 SKUs to 500 SKUs—a fivefold increase that supports greater meal variety and new revenue opportunities across the HelloFresh brand portfolio.

Factor, a HelloFresh brand, first deployed 13 Locus Origin robots in July 2025 as part of an initial pilot. The deployment quickly demonstrated the execution consistency and reliability required for chilled fulfillment, with Locus Origin robots averaging a mission time of just 3 minutes and 36 seconds from order induction through box drop-off. Following that strong early performance, HelloFresh expanded the deployment within three months with 26 additional Locus Origin robots, with plans to add EveryPlate fulfillment support later this year.

That mission speed is especially significant in temperature-controlled fulfillment, where every minute matters. Recent 3PL fulfillment-time benchmarks often measure performance in 30-minute, 60-minute, or multi-hour windows, underscoring the value of compressing a critical fulfillment movement into minutes.

“Our customers expect more choice, more flexibility, and a consistently great experience,” said Brad Mesloh, Associate Director, Strategic Design at HelloFresh.

“Delivering that in a chilled fulfillment environment requires precision, speed, and technology that can adapt to the complexity of our operations. Locus Robotics gave our teams a simple, easy-to-use AMR platform that was faster, safer, and required less space than other options we evaluated. The implementation was extremely smooth, with much of the testing completed virtually before go-live. Once the robots were on the floor, final validation took only a few days, making the deployment much quicker and simpler than our legacy systems.”

Refrigerated fulfillment creates a different set of demands for battery-powered robots. Cold temperatures can reduce battery efficiency over time and use, and HelloFresh’s operating model requires Locus Origin robots to remain inside chilled conditions for both work and charging. To meet that challenge, Locus Robotics developed a heated motor enhancement and related charging modifications that support reliable, continuous operation in cold storage environments.

“HelloFresh is scaling one of the most demanding fulfillment models in the market: high volume, high variety, and temperature-controlled from start to finish,” said Jasmine Lombardi, Chief Customer Officer. “By increasing capacity and expanding automation across HelloFresh’s portfolio of brands, Locus Robotics is enabling greater meal choice for its customers while maintaining the speed and precision its fulfillment model demands.”

Locus Robotics supports approximately 12,000 square feet of HelloFresh’s chilled fulfillment space, including two high-speed meal kit picking lines. In some workflows, Locus Origin robots move orders directly from induction to drop-off, helping HelloFresh move products faster while maintaining order tracking.

HelloFresh initially evaluated a larger integrated automation system involving two additional providers, but chose to begin with a focused Locus Robotics proof of concept. The approach helped the team move faster, reduce upfront cost, and gain hands-on experience with Locus Origin robots in a live chilled fulfillment environment.

The deployment also helped HelloFresh avoid some of the constraints of traditional fixed conveyor systems, where a single failure can disrupt fulfillment flow. With Locus Robotics, HelloFresh gained a more flexible automation model supported by compact robots, a simple picking interface, and a smart AMR platform designed to fit within existing operations.

Cargo Control Company adds Wistra and Ancra Systems

A provider of cargo control solutions, Cargo Control Company, today announces the expansion of its group with the addition of Wistra and Ancra Systems. These companies join existing members Roland International and LoadLok, further strengthening the group’s position as a comprehensive partner for the European transport and logistics industry.

With this expansion, Cargo Control Company (CCC) now brings together four highly respected brands, combining decades of expertise across cargo securing and automated loading technologies. The addition of Wistra and Ancra Systems significantly enhances the group’s capabilities, broadening both its product offering and application knowledge.

The group offers a complete cargo control ecosystem across all major transport vehicles, including vans, reefer trailers, box trailers, and curtain-sided trailers. In addition, the group provides advanced automated loading and unloading systems for
warehouses and distribution centers, enabling greater efficiency throughout the supply chain.

A key strength of CCC lies in the collaboration between its companies. By uniting the best minds in the industry, the group enables continuous knowledge transfer and innovation, supported by deep, real-world application experience. This shared expertise allows CCC to develop leading solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers.

Through its global manufacturing footprint, the group ensures consistently high-quality, fully tested products, while maintaining the flexibility to deliver tailored cargo control and loading solutions. Its strong European distribution network guarantees broad
market coverage and reliable availability, complemented by a competitively priced and comprehensive product range.

CCC’s mission is clear: to improve how the world moves cargo by providing best-in-class cargo control solutions. With the addition of Wistra and Ancra Systems, The Cargo Control Company takes a significant step forward in delivering on that ambition, helping customers operate more safely, efficiently, and reliably across Europe and beyond.

Invite-Only Matchmaking Event Delivers

In a world of trade volatility, AI disruption and mounting pressure to build supply chains that are faster, greener and more resilient, 2,000 of retail and logistics’ senior leaders chose to spend 3rd and 4th of June in one place: TAETS Event Park, Amsterdam. Editor Peter MacLeod attended the event again for Logistics Business.

Deliver Europe has established itself as an annual gathering where retail and supply chain’s most senior leaders come to do business, build relationships and confront the challenges defining the industry’s future. It is not an event you can simply buy a ticket to. It is an invitation-only, fully hosted event, and that exclusivity is the point. Every delegate is pre-qualified. Every meeting is pre-scheduled. And with 9,000 meetings taking place across the two days through the Deliver precision matchmaking platform, the result is an environment where every conversation is intentional, every introduction is relevant and every delegate leaves with a pipeline of real commercial opportunity.

“What we like about Deliver is that we have senior stakeholders that we can interact with. We have meaningful conversations… [the pre-arranged meetings] mean you can sit down, understand their use case, and get the chance to really present what you can bring to the table,” commented Arne Jeroschewski, Founder and CEO at Parcel Perform.

Those 9,000 meetings connected senior executives from Amazon, ASOS, eBay, John Lewis, Nike, Decathlon, MediaMarktSaturn, ALDI SÜd Group, URBN (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People & Nuuly), Henkel, Electrolux, Mars, Oatly, Schneider Electric, Emma – The Sleep Company, CCC Group, On, Karl Lagerfeld and LEGO – among many others – with 178 of the most innovative vendor partners in the industry, including DHL, FedEx Express, Maersk, Amazon Shipping, Ocado Intelligent Automation, Manhattan Associates, Evri, DP World, parcelLab, Asendia, Swisslog and Seven Senders.

“9,000 meetings across two days is not just a number – it represents thousands of partnerships in the making, problems being solved and relationships that will shape the industry for years to come. We are incredibly proud of what Deliver Europe has become,” commented Stéphane Tomczak, Founder & Chairman, Deliver.

The conference programme offered 70+ hours of content across the two days, featuring keynote sessions, expert panels and roundtable discussions tackling the most pressing challenges in retail supply chain. Key themes included the real-world impact of AI and digital transformation, net-zero and circular supply chain innovation, cross-chain collaboration and the future of supply chain leadership.

Deliver Europe review

Roundtables brought together operational leaders from brands including Coty, Bonduelle, Decathlon and Jack Wolfskin for candid, peer-to-peer debate. Notable speakers included Kirsty Keoghan, General Manager Fashion & Luxury EU at eBay; Dane Percy, VP of Research and Development Petcare at Mars; and Stefan Hofer, COO of Emma – The Sleep Company, alongside applied futurist Tom Cheesewright, who guided discussions on the forces reshaping commerce.

Sustainability was a defining thread throughout the 2026 programme, both on the keynote stage and in the Sustainability Lounge. Erin Augustine, VP Global Sustainability at Oatly, brought the green agenda to the main stage, while the morning of day one was dedicated to the Deliver Sustainability Pulse 2026: Where the Industry Really Stands – a 60-minute focus group that proved one of the most interactive and insight-rich sessions of the event. Panellists included Taimoor Hussain, Supply Chain Director at Unilever; Radharaman Jha, VP Supply Chain at Flaconi; Tatum Bross, ESG Project Manager at Spring GDS; Henric van der Ent, Director of Supply Chain at PwC Nederland, moderated by John Acton, Co-Founder & CEO of Peer2Peer. The session drew candid contributions from the audience as well as the panel, surfacing where the industry truly stands on sustainability – and what still needs to change. The Sustainability Pulse will become a permanent fixture of the Deliver Europe programme, with findings from the 2026 session to be compiled into a report and shared across the Deliver community in the coming weeks.

Alongside the main programme, a series of exclusive experiences reflected Deliver’s commitment to meaningful connection at every level. On the evening of 2nd June, 70 of the industry’s most senior executives gathered for the exclusive Elite Dinner – invitation-only, off-agenda and widely regarded as one of the most coveted evenings in the supply chain calendar. The Women in Retail Breakfast, held on the morning of 4th June, returned for another celebrated edition, convening senior executives for honest, inspiring dialogue on leadership, career development and building inclusive cultures within retail and supply chain.

The Deliver Vendor Awards, fully voted for by attending retailers, took centre stage on the afternoon of day one, celebrating excellence across the supply chain and logistics community. This year’s winners were: GOFO (Rising Star), GLS (Customer Experience), Maersk (Brand Excellence), Parcel Perform (Game Changer) and Bring (Sustainability). The awards gave way to an unforgettable networking party to close out day one, with a dazzling disco ball performer, dancers and DJs bringing the energy – a fitting celebration of a remarkable first day.

Automation Strategy Advances with SCE

Intelligent Supply Chain Execution experts, Infios, is supporting tools and C-parts specialist Kellner & Kunz AG in advancing its automation strategy through the integration of advanced robotics into inbound logistics. The initiative builds on a long-standing partnership that began in 2019 with the deployment of Infios Warehouse Management (WM) and Warehouse Control System (WCS) at the company’s Wels logistics centre, providing a robust digital foundation for the phased expansion of automation.

Kellner & Kunz AG, headquartered in Wels, Austria, is a leading international trading and service company specialising in C-parts management for industry, skilled trades and automotive. Leveraging Infios WM and WCS, the company integrates processes from goods receipt through to automated on-site replenishment at customer production facilities, creating a strong competitive advantage in the fast-paced tools and C-parts logistics market.

Today, Kellner & Kunz manages approximately 120,000 SKUs across a diverse portfolio of tools, industrial consumables, and occupational safety equipment, with up to 5,000 deliveries processed automatically each day. This operational scale underscores the importance of a highly integrated and flexible automation environment capable of supporting efficient, production-synchronous supply.

As part of a broader €45 million investment in the Wels facility, Kellner & Kunz has leveraged Infios software to orchestrate critical elements of the site’s automation landscape, significantly enhancing operational performance. The facility features a high-bay warehouse with 15,400 pallet locations and 200,000 tote locations, complemented by automated guided vehicles and advanced conveyor systems. Since go-live, the focus has remained on continuous process optimisation and the phased integration of additional technologies.

“The flexible and modular architecture of the Infios platform enables us to introduce new automation technologies as needed and seamlessly integrate them into our existing logistics processes,” said Walter Bostelmann, CEO, Kellner & Kunz.

During the latest optimisation phase, Infios completed the software integration of an articulated-arm robot with a vacuum gripper to depalletise inbound goods in just four weeks. The solution significantly improves efficiency and ergonomics compared with manual handling, allowing up to six units, weighing up to 25 kilograms, to be picked simultaneously and transferred into totes. Further automation is already planned, including the addition of a second depalletising robot station and the integration of robotics to support replenishment processes.

“By integrating new technologies step by step into Infios WM, we enable customers to continuously enhance automation within a live environment,” said Dirk Teschner, Senior Vice President and Managing Director Germany at Infios. “In line with our Intelligent Supply Chain Execution approach, this allows seamless orchestration across the entire fulfilment process, from inbound logistics through to final delivery.”

This initial deployment marks the starting point for further robot integrations as part of a joint, continuous optimisation program designed to improve efficiency and scalability.

Reusable Labels Support Warehouse Flexibility

It’s standard practice in modern warehousing to label every storage location to ensure fast, reliable identification. But what happens when areas of the warehouse are temporarily taken out of service?

That was the challenge facing one of Germany’s leading bicycle manufacturers. As the business prepared to bring a new warehouse into operation – with over 30,000 racking locations – it needed a way to mark 5,000 of those locations as ‘temporarily blocked’ until they were required.

The solution had to be quick, clear, cost-effective, and above all, flexible enough for the team to update manually, without the need for complex relabelling.

Reusable labels for temporary use

The manufacturer had been working with Inotec since 2022, successfully completing two warehouse labelling projects. For this third application, Inotec recommended its innovative Drytack label – a reusable, residue-free label that adheres antistatically to smooth surfaces, making it ideal for temporary marking in logistics environments.

Drytack labels were applied directly over the existing location barcodes on the warehouse racking. This ensured that the blocked locations could not be accidentally scanned while still allowing the customer to uncover the original barcode easily once the location was ready for use.

Because it is reusable, the team can remove and reapply the labels multiple times, providing a fast and sustainable solution for managing changes within the warehouse.

Key benefits

  • Clear visual communication: Staff can instantly recognise blocked bays
  • Error prevention: Covered barcodes eliminate accidental scans
  • Flexible: Locations can be released at any time by simply removing the label
  • Reusable: Labels leave no residue and can be reapplied repeatedly
  • Sustainable: Reduces waste and avoids the need for printing new labels
  • A versatile product for warehouse operations

Drytack labels can be supplied blank on rolls for manual application, printed with custom messages, or provided for on-site thermal transfer printing. The labels work on flat, curved or even angled surfaces, and can be used indoors or outdoors (subject to the variant selected). Application is quick and easy (as long as the temperature is above 15°C) and the label’s rounded corners make removal simple and clean.

The result: More control, less disruption

The manufacturer now benefits from an adaptable, efficient way to manage blocked locations, improving both visual communication and warehouse safety. Drytack helps avoid scanning errors, speeds up manual handling, and provides a future-proof solution that saves time and reduces material usage.

“Inotec showed us a simple yet highly effective solution for blocking our racking locations. Drytack is easy to use, and its reusability adds a sustainable touch to our logistics processes.” – Production Manager, Leading German Bicycle Manufacturer

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