THG Fulfil expands AutoStore offer beyond RaaS
THG Fulfil is widening its AutoStore distribution partnership to include both conventional capital purchase and Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS). The change gives brands and retailers a choice of financing route while retaining one partner for system design, integration and operational expertise.
Customers can purchase and capitalise the equipment, use a service-based model to preserve cash flow, or combine both approaches. That flexibility is increasingly relevant as companies seek to expand automated capacity without committing to the same investment structure at every site or stage of growth.
Operational experience behind the offer
THG Fulfil already runs 796 AutoStore robots across its own fulfilment network. Its proprietary warehouse control system is integrated with the AutoStore platform, producing throughput of more than 11,000 bins per hour to picking stations and reducing average pick waiting time by 78%.
The company also recently delivered an AutoStore installation for Footasylum. The system uses 85 R5 robots and provides more than 96,000 bin locations, enough to hold the retailer’s complete live stock-keeping-unit range.
That operating experience is central to THG Fulfil’s expanded proposition: customers are not only selecting hardware, but also an integration and software partner familiar with running the technology in production environments.
Different routes to warehouse automation
Under the new arrangement, THG Fulfil has global CapEx distribution rights for the complete AutoStore product range. Its RaaS proposition remains focused on selected equipment, including R5 Pro and R5 Pro+ robots, CarouselPort, ConveyorPort and VersaPort.
Tom Killeen, chief operating officer at THG Ingenuity, said the broader choice allows finance and operations teams to compare ownership and service-based models without changing implementation partners. Russell Holmes, sales director for the UK and Ireland at AutoStore, said the expanded partnership should help more companies align automation investment with their operational and financial priorities.
More details on the technology and partnership are available from THG Fulfil. Russell Holmes also discusses the subject in a podcast episode.
