That was the retail technology year that was. Micro-fulfilment centres grow in popularity
Some of the most noteworthy retail technology innovation during 2022 came via the micro-fulfilment centre (MFC) space.
2022 was the year many companies installed MFCs. including H-E-B which deployed an AutoStore MFC inside its flagship store located in Plano, TX, USA.
2023, meanwhile, will be the year several fulfilment companies breakout of the pack, according to Brittain Ladd, a former supply chain consultant and Amazon executive.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “2024 is when executives understand they must have an MFC strategy and the market grows at double digits. 2025 is the year is when the use of MFCs explodes across industries.”
He added that 2023 is going to be a massive year for Attabotics, which recently raised an additional $71 million to bring the total raised to $165 million.
What makes the raise so special, Ladd noted, is that it was done during one of the most challenging investment environments ever experienced.
He stated: “Attabotics was able to raise capital because investors have confidence in the Founder and CEO of Attabotics, Scott Gravelle. LinkedIn members who read my articles know that I preach the importance of working for CEOs who are leaders in their industry and not just a leader in their company.”
“Scott is regarded as being one of the most innovative and capable CEOs in the industry.”
Attabotics specialises in condensing traditional warehouse aisles into a single, vertical storage structure. Inside the structure, robotic shuttles move in three dimensional space to store and deliver goods to workers on the perimeter that pick, pack and ship modern commerce orders.
This is said to reduce a company's warehouse space by 85%.
Ladd commented: “In my opinion, Attabotics has created the most advanced fulfilment system on the market.”
“Note: I would like to see it become the first fulfilment company to integrate chatgpt into its platform as doing so will create extensive new capabilities related to operating fulfilment centres and communicating with associates, customers, retailers and brands.”
Another company set for a breakout year is Addverb, which provides smart end-to-end warehouse and industrial automation and intralogistics solutions.
Addverb's fleet of automated robots, material handling technologies, and software solutions, comprises an extensive portfolio of fixed and flexible automation solutions.
The company has opened a new Centre of Excellence for Advanced Robotics Research and Development in Fremont, CA. This will will focus on developing state-of-the-art platforms and algorithms.
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