Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society (Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa) opened the first micro-fulfilment centre (MFC) online grocery shopping in August 2024.
Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa is a regional cooperative of the Finnish S Group. The centre, developed in cooperation with Swisslog and built from scratch next to the Prisma hypermarket, has been entirely based on automation principles.
“The centre utilises the Prisma hypermarket’s infrastructure. Products from the basic selection will be collected from the warehouse with the assistance of robots, and the order will be supplemented, if necessary, with products from the adjacent Prisma hypermarket, such as fresh food, bakery items, frozen products, and daily consumer goods,” said Ville Jylhä, COO of the Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society.
“Robots make the collection process more efficient and faster by rapidly bringing the products to the warehouse staff. However, employees will continue to ensure the quality of the products and pack the order for pick-up.”
The centre will serve customers in the Pirkanmaa Region, where there has been an increasing demand for online grocery shopping. Sales grew by 27 percent last year compared to the previous year, and in the first half of 2024, they increased by almost 30 percent. The centre will mean more order time slots for customers and faster deliveries.
“The new centre will enable us to double our online grocery sales capacity compared with last year. In recent years, across the S Group, we have systematically invested in developing online grocery shopping to meet customers’ needs. I believe there will be demand for at least two new MFCs in the region shortly. Buying food online is undoubtedly a simple way to make daily life easier.”
Swisslog, a pioneer in market-proven e-grocery and automated order fulfilment solutions, has delivered Pirkanmaa Cooperative Society’s automation solution.
Tero Mäki, Sales Manager, Swisslog, was happy that Pirkanmaa Osuuskauppa chose Swisslog as its first MFC partner. He said work had gone according to plan and looked forward to the continued operation of this innovative and efficient facility.
The new MFC is 1,400 m² and consists of 40 AutoStore robots, employing around 50 people in various roles. This solution will make e-grocery deliveries faster, more precise, and more efficient.
