Symbotic to Acquire cellumation

Robotics technology for the supply chain supplier Symbotic has today announced the acquisition of cellumation GmbH, a Bremen, Germany-based automation company and creator of the celluveyor, a patented, software-driven sortation technology.

Beyond the Conveyor: A Denser, Smarter Symbotic System

The celluveyor is made up of hundreds of independently controlled, omnidirectional cells. Each cell can move an item in any direction, meaning the celluveyor does not simply move products; it decides where products should go while moving them.

By replacing traditional conveyor-based sortation with this intelligent, software-driven surface, Symbotic expects to deliver more throughput and handle a wider range of products in a fraction of the space traditional conveyors require. The technology – a key enabler for the next generation of inbound and outbound robotic cells – is a natural fit with Symbotic’s roadmap: it will enable Symbotic to simplify cell architecture and free up critical warehouse space for more storage and other high-value uses, with the potential to reduce capital equipment costs.

cellumation’s technology is a game-changer… By bringing the celluveyor into the Symbotic portfolio, we are accelerating our ability to help customers achieve higher performance, better space utilization, and lower system costs while continuing to push the boundaries of physical AI across the supply chain

said Rick Cohen, Chairman and CEO of Symbotic.

A Platform for the Entire Industry

cellumation’s technology is particularly relevant in industries and markets where facility footprints are constrained and efficient use of space is increasingly critical. The technology is already proving its compelling value in live deployments for postal, e-commerce, and logistics operators worldwide. To that end, cellumation will continue operating under its own name, serving its existing customers and growing its business – in addition to being integrated into Symbotic’s systems.

Said Cohen: “Building on our recent acquisitions of ARMS Innovations and Fox Robotics, this transaction brings another diversified, standalone product into Symbotic’s portfolio – one that will be sold both directly to customers and other integrators, and integrated into Symbotic’s solutions.”

From the beginning, our vision has been to create a completely new category of material flow technology… Joining Symbotic provides us with the resources, scale, and strategic partnership needed to accelerate that vision globally. Just as importantly, cellumation will continue serving customers across multiple industries, bringing the benefits of the celluveyor to organizations wherever it can create value.

said Dr.-Ing. Hendrik Thamer, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of cellumation.

cellumation’s founding team – both Thamer and Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr.-Ing. Claudio Uriarte – will remain with the company and continue to lead its operations.

Accelerating Symbotic’s Push Into Europe

The acquisition also strengthens Symbotic’s presence in Europe. cellumation brings a proven track record of automation deployment across the region, established customer relationships, an experienced local leadership team, and accomplished regional organization.

How Close Are We to a Fully Automated Warehouse?

Warehouse robotics is advancing at pace — but are we really getting close to facilities that can operate with almost no people?

In the latest episode of Logistics Business Conversations, Paul Hamblin is joined by Volker Sadowski of BEUMER Group to look at how robotics is changing parcel handling, warehouses and distribution centres.

The discussion covers robotic picking, AMRs, labour shortages and one of the biggest challenges in automation: what happens when the technology encounters something it cannot handle?

Sadowski explains why exception handling can make or break a robotic system, why flexibility is becoming such an important requirement for warehouse operators, and why mobile robotics could have a major role in helping businesses scale without committing to fixed capacity years in advance. Pasted text Pasted text

The conversation also tackles the big question of the “dark warehouse”. While highly automated operations are already technically possible, the final few percentage points can be the most difficult — and most expensive — to automate. Pasted text

And looking further ahead, could humanoid robots become a realistic part of logistics operations within the next five years?

From robot picking and AMRs to humanoids and automated truck unloading, this episode explores just how close logistics is getting to the fully automated warehouse. Pasted text

Listen to the full episode below.

Ann Summers Customers Gain Greater Control Over Deliveries

As demand for more flexible and convenient delivery options grows, parcel lockers are becoming an oncreasingly important part of last-mile logistics. Retailers are looking beyond traditional home delivery to give customers greater control over how and where they receive their purchases.

Reflecting this shift, InPost has partnered with British retailer Ann Summers to give customers more control at checkout, offering the freedom to choose where and how they receive their orders. For those living in a flatshare or university accommodation, living with parents, buying a gift or simply preferring to collect their purchase themselves, InPost Locker delivery offers an alternative to the front door.

Ann Summers customers will be able to choose 48-hour delivery to an InPost Locker at checkout, select the location that works best for them and collect at a time that suits them. Customers will also be able to make returns through InPost’s extensive network of over 16,000 lockers.

The partnership brings together two brands known for challenging convention. Ann Summers has spent more than 50 years disrupting the high street, pushing boundaries and empowering its customers, while InPost is reshaping the delivery experience around how people live and shop today.

For Ann Summers customers, locker delivery offers another option alongside traditional home delivery, whether they are collecting around a commute, choosing a location close to home or simply prefer to pick up their order themselves.

The launch comes as out-of-home delivery becomes an increasingly established part of ecommerce. InPost research found nearly 60% of Brits experience delivery-related stress, with consumers spending an average of 3.2 hours every month waiting at home for deliveries.

The partnership extends that shift into a new retail category, giving Ann Summers customers another way to receive their purchases while making the delivery experience more adaptable to their lifestyle.

Jon Nicholson, Chief Commercial Officer, InPost UK, commented:

Ann Summers has spent decades disrupting the high street and empowering its customers, while InPost is challenging the way delivery has traditionally worked. Bringing those two mindsets together makes this a really exciting partnership.

Customers expect choice throughout the shopping journey, and delivery should be no different. By adding InPost Locker delivery, Ann Summers is giving its customers greater freedom to choose the location and collection time that works best for them.

For retailers, delivery is an increasingly important part of the overall customer experience. Giving people more options at checkout creates a more flexible, modern shopping journey – and that is exactly where InPost continues to push the category forward.”

Maria Hollins, CEO, Ann Summers, added

For more than 50 years, Ann Summers has pushed boundaries and championed empowerment, confidence and choice for our customers

Our partnership with InPost brings that same approach into another part of the shopping journey, giving our customers even greater freedom over how and where they receive their orders.

We want every interaction with Ann Summers to feel empowering and on our customers’ terms. InPost Locker delivery gives them another simple and flexible option, putting even more choice into their hands.”

Kesko Bets on Cloud-Native, AI-Driven WMS

The race to modernise Europe’s grocery supply chains has entered a new phase, with Finnish retail group Kesko selecting Manhattan Active Warehouse™ from supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions provider Manhattan Associates Inc.

The Nordic retailer is replacing its grocery trade legacy warehouse management system with the a cloud-native warehouse management solution, including agentic AI capabilities delivered through Manhattan Active Agents and Manhattan Agent Foundry™.

For Finland’s second largest grocery brand, and one of the biggest in Northern Europe, the investment reflects the growing strategic importance of operational agility, as digital and physical retail become increasingly interconnected and a broader shift taking place across retail logistics more generally.

The scale of Kesko’s grocery trade makes the project noteworthy in Finnish and European retail. In 2025, the division’s net sales amounted to EUR 6.5 billion, and its comparable operating profit was EUR 418 million. Together, K-food stores and Kespro form an extensive grocery trade business.

“Our aim is to create a warehouse and technology foundation that evolves without the disruption traditionally associated with enterprise software upgrades, while also leveraging the transformative power of agentic AI to gain operational efficiencies and unlock previously unseen opportunities,” commented Pekka Tala, Director Strategic Programs, Grocery Trade Logistics at Kesko.

The significance of Kesko’s decision extends beyond infrastructure, however, as retailers face increasingly fragmented consumer demands and rising expectations for rapid, reliable fulfilment.

“If you break an on-time-in-full promise a customer will simply find an alternative, which sets the stakes high. Initially covering five distribution centres, followed by a greenfield site (in 2029-30), plus a range of terminal hub operations, being able to interpret and act on operational signals in real time is key for us.” Pekka Tala

Kesko expects to deploy Manhattan’s Wave Coordinator, Labour, and Warehouse Associate Agents while exploring additional purpose-built agents to support additional inbound operations with Agent Foundry.

Sebastien Lefebure, Senior Vice President, EMEA at Manhattan continued: “Retailers are increasingly viewing warehouse projects as an opportunity for competitive differentiation. This project represents more than the simple replacement of a legacy WMS; it is an opportunity to drive competitive advantage.

“The continuous innovation delivered by Manhattan’s cloud-native platform, coupled with the functional power of AI embedded in the execution layer of supply chains is increasingly becoming the benchmark against which next-generation supply chain platforms will be measured, and Kesko is at the forefront of the application of this technology in the Nordic grocery space”

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