Footasylum taps THG Fulfil for automated warehouse

Footasylum has partnered with THG Fulfil to install an automated AutoStore system at its warehouse operation, marking THG Fulfil's first end-to-end AutoStore deployment for an external retail client.

THG Fulfil will design, integrate and activate the system as both principal contractor and technology provider. The installation is intended to handle Footasylum's full live stock keeping unit range ahead of the peak trading period.

The build will include 85 AutoStore R5 robots, more than 96,000 bin locations and 24 carousel ports. All live SKUs will be stored within the AutoStore grid.

THG Fulfil is supplying the project through a Robotics-as-a-Service model rather than a traditional capital purchase, allowing Footasylum to avoid the upfront infrastructure costs often associated with a first large warehouse automation project.

The arrangement is also a notable step for THG Fulfil as it expands technology developed inside its own operations into the wider retail market. The Footasylum project uses the same software and operational approach applied across AutoStore systems in THG Fulfil's own fulfilment network.

At the centre of the installation is THG Fulfil's warehouse control software, developed in-house and refined through its direct-to-consumer business. Footasylum will become the first outside retailer to run that software at the core of its fulfilment operation.

Automation shift

For Footasylum, the project is one of the business's larger infrastructure investments in recent years as it looks to support growth across its multichannel retail model. The company operates more than 65 stores in the UK and also sells through websites and wholesale channels.

Targeting younger consumers in fashion streetwear and sportswear, the retailer said the new goods-to-person setup is designed to improve product flow through the warehouse while helping it manage a broader product range. The automated grid system is also expected to use warehouse space more densely than conventional shelving layouts.

The installation is being delivered within a three-month programme, with first orders expected to go live in September. That would put the system in place before the end-of-year shopping rush, a key test period for warehouse operations.

As an authorised AutoStore partner and operator of a designated Red Site in the UK, THG Fulfil has been able to test and adapt the platform over a number of years. Those changes include improvements in the software layer used to direct warehouse activity.

Tom Killeen, Chief Operating Officer of THG Ingenuity, outlined the group's case for the project and the commercial model behind it.

"What will make this partnership different is not just the hardware, it is the software and operational knowledge behind it. THG Fulfil has spent two decades obsessing over the end consumer experience as a retailer, and that knowledge is embedded into everything we build. As a unique global distributor and integrator for AutoStore, we bring proprietary SaaS infrastructure including a purpose-built WCS, an AI-backed data science function, and a depth of operational experience that compounds in value long after go-live.

"For Footasylum, our Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) commercial model removes the traditional barriers to entry for a first major automation project, giving them access to enterprise-grade infrastructure without the capital commitment. With their entire SKU range running through a system purposefully designed around their operation, we are confident the results will speak for themselves."

Growth plans

Footasylum has been expanding its offer across both third-party and owned brands and recently entered a partnership with British streetwear label Trapstar. As the product mix widens, fulfilment complexity tends to increase, particularly for retailers serving online and store demand from the same supply chain.

Hannah Mercer, Chief Executive Officer of Footasylum, said the automation project is intended to support that expansion and provide a more advanced fulfilment base for the business.

"As Footasylum continues to grow, we are committed to investing in the infrastructure that will support the business today and long into the future. Our fulfilment operation is a critical part of that, and this project represents one of the most significant investments we have made in the business in recent times.

"Working closely with THG Fulfil, we have designed a solution tailored to the specific demands of our operation and the increasing breadth of our offer. As our product range expands and the business evolves, it is vital that the infrastructure underpinning it keeps pace.

"This investment gives us a materially more advanced fulfilment platform - one that helps us manage greater complexity, improve the flow of products through the operation and lay the groundwork for the next stage of Footasylum's development, all while continuing to deliver for our customers."

AutoStore, founded in Norway, now has more than 1,900 systems in over 65 countries.