Online beauty pure player
flaconi builds state-of-the-art
logistics hub
In a nutshell, flaconi’s new state-of-the-art logistics hub spans 28,000 square metres, houses 85,000 stocked products and boasts a processing capacity of up to 167,000 orders per day. With an annual growth rate of 48%, alongside clear expansion plans and constant broadening of the beauty range, this surge in performance and the consequent tripling of the previous storage capacity were imperative.
Flying start to becoming the largest online provider
flaconi Established in Berlin in 2011, the online beauty retailer flaconi swiftly rose to prominence as Germany’s number-one online pure player for cosmetic products. From perfume and skincare through to makeup, hair care and accessories, flaconi has all product segments covered, ranging from drugstore to natural cosmetics to premium.
In addition to its presence in Germany, flaconi also operates in Austria and Poland.
The substantial growth of the past is set to continue into the future, too, thanks to the brand-new logistics hub in the ‘Star Park’ commercial centre in Halle (Saale). This state-of-the-art centre has been specially tailored to meet the specific needs of the online beauty retailer.
We shelf it right.
Facts & figures
Storage solution
Warehoused goods
Cosmetics
Shelving solution
Flexible solution for
fast-paced online retail
Customer
flaconi
Industry
Online retail
Cosmetics
Order scope
Hub – consultation, planning, delivery, assembly
Requirements
Installation of a new warehouse with a two-storey shelving system
Execution
Consultation, planning, assembly
Project details
- Key component: 2,000 shelving rack bays with either six or twelve levels
- Total of 18,690 MULTIplus shelves with around 225,000 storage spaces
- Solid sheet metal side panels painted in the company’s own brand colours
- 30 flow through rack bays with a total of 1,200 storage channels for fast-moving products
Notable features
Careful storage
The task
Planning and development of a storage solution precisely tailored to online retail requirements
The task was to develop a storage solution that was precisely customised to flaconi’s product and process requirements.
Small-scale items needed to be stocked in line with current demand, with the aim of streamlining the flow of goods by minimising travel distances. This meant positioning fast-moving products that are easy to store and retrieve close to the packaging area.
Nevertheless, a particular planning challenge stemmed from the nature of the products themselves. The majority of these hazardous substances, which called for a sophisticated fire safety concept. Perfume, for example, presents several characteristics outlined in Section 3 of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance, as it is classified as both flammable and highly combustible.
As Sales Director for SCHULTE, Sascha Lichtenthäler explains, “When it comes to storing hazardous materials in complex facilities, fire safety is always a challenging issue – especially when changes are made during the implementation phase. In situations like this, it is even more crucial to have a collaborative on-site trial setup so that any necessary adjustments can be made.”
After several workshops and presentations, the contract for the project was awarded to the warehouse specialists from SCHULTE in Sundern.
“The solution provided by SCHULTE is ideal for us, as it offers remarkable flexibility. In the fast-paced world of online retail, it is essential for us to be agile and able to act quickly in response to various needs, including seasonal demand. Many logistics concepts are simply not designed to keep up with the rapid pace of market demands,” explains Dr Steffen Christ, COO of flaconi.
Main challenge:
Logistical agility in the fast-paced world of online retail.
Customer benefits
SCHULTE’s expertise always ensures a flawless finish.
We shelf it right.
85,000 cosmetics products
Storage solution
18,690 MULTIplus shelves
The solution
Scalability through manual order picking
The centrepiece of the project comprises over 2,000 shelving rack bays with either six or twelve levels. This makes for a total installation capacity of 18,690 MULTIplus shelves with around 225,000 storage spaces.
With its refined edge height of just 25 mm, the Schulte shelf – in conjunction with the 25 mm increments of the T-profile frames – achieves more storage levels at the same shelf height to facilitate ergonomic operation with a lower reach height
Further benefits of the MULTIplus shelving include its simple assembly using a plug-in system and the ability to make straightforward modifications. What’s more, the solid sheet metal side panels have been painted in the company’s own brand colours at the customer’s request.
With the aim of meeting the specific demands of fast-moving products, some 30 flow through rack bays were installed with a total of 1,200 storage channels. Each shelf level varies in length to ensure optimal access openings, and a wide roller carpet has been planned to accommodate a wide variety of boxes.
A further consideration was that the fire protection concept mandated sprinklers and heat retention plates for this type of shelving system, which is rounded out by 84 pallet rack bays with nearly 700 storage spaces. flaconi intentionally opted for a manual picking process.
“Our storage system has to be scalable. We make 40% of our annual turnover during the Christmas period, so an automated system that sits idle for 10 months and then becomes overloaded right when we need it would be no good to us,” explains Dr Steffen Christ.
Main challenge:
Logistical agility in the fast-paced world of online retail.
Customer benefits
More shelving levels at the same shelf height
Customer benefits
Higher throughput speed
Project story
Project success hinges on effort and effective communication
From the initial order to final handover, the entire project was executed in just 6 months, with the actual assembly handled within a mere six weeks. “Everything ran without a hitch, which allowed us to start our warehouse operations right on time.
The atmosphere surrounding the project was consistently fantastic, and we were able to steer our collaborative efforts to success with a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach.
Even when a snowstorm kept most of our suppliers away, the Schulte team was always on site,” enthuses Anne Kriegsmann from flaconi’s Operations Excellence department.
Dr Christ couldn’t be happier with how the project went: “This was our first project of this scale, and it was important for us to always have a dedicated point of contact so that no information slipped through the cracks from the initial proposal to final handover as a result of too many cooks.
Throughout the entire execution phase, shelf construction never appeared on my escalation list – it couldn’t have gone better.” For more information on SCHULTE, visit www.schulte-lagerkonzepte.de.
Conclusion:
On-time startup of warehouse operations with very satisfied customers.
Customer benefits
It couldn’t be better
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