United Natural Foods (UNFI), a grocery wholesaler, plans to implement an A.I.-powered robotic automation system in its s distribution center, in Manchester.
The 1.3 million-square-foot facility will come online this summer with the technology expected to be fully operational by spring 2025.
“We always want to make doing business with UNFI easier for our customers and suppliers, and that means investing in ways to make our supply chain more effective and efficient,” Erin Horvath, UNFI chief operating officer, said. “Automating key distribution centers, such as Centralia and our new facility in Manchester, will help us improve order accuracy and deliver a better overall customer experience, while also reducing operating cost. Symbotic has been a great partner and we’re pleased that the Centralia installation is on schedule, allowing us to begin implementation of our next automation system in Manchester.”
The system will provide robotic-case-pick capabilities in the dry grocery area, improve order accuracy, and automate the assembly of order pallets. It is expected to increase capacity, improve quality and service to customers, and lower the cost to fulfill customer orders.
Rhode Island-based UNFI delivers fresh, branded, and owned brand products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America. It also offers shelf management, proprietary technology, data, and market insights.