E-commerce startup Bergfreunde increased its order picking efficiency by more than 400% with AutoStore by Element Logic

Bergfreunde.de has shown a rapid growth since its founding in 2006. The original warehouse in Kirchentellinsfurt and various decentralized warehouses could no longer keep up with this growth. For being able to stay successful on the market in the long term, the company needed an infrastructure that would allow for more than 30-40% annual revenue growth. Scalability in terms of storage capacity, picking speed and picking efficiency were key success factors for this growth.

“With our tremendous growth we are dependent on a flexible and efficient storage system, which is why Bergfreunde.de has chosen AutoStore. Scalability, space efficiency and high performance were decisive factors for us. All our expectations on AutoStore and Element Logic have been more than fulfilled and we never regretted our decision”, says Ronny Höhn, Managing Director of Bergfreunde.de.

Success with customized solutions

In order to remain future-proof, the company Bergfreunde.de opened a new logistics center in August 2016, located in Rottenburg-Ergenzingen and covering an area of more than 10,000 m². The special feature of this logistics center was the stand-alone AutoStore system, which was originally dimensioned to a size of 1,800 m². In a further step, Element Logic functionally adapted the system with conveyor technology, process optimization and various extensions during full operation. Consequently, Bergfreunde.de could meet the needs of their increased growth at any time.

Today, 80 robots are taking care of over 180,000 items from different manufacturers. The spectrum ranges from clothing, footwear and outdoor equipment up to climbing and special equipment. With the help of Element Logic, Bergfreunde.de has succeeded in increasing its order picking efficiency by more than 400%. In addition, the company was able to significantly reduce its throughput time. Today, the online shop processes more than 15,000 orders on peak days.