Exotec agrees Oxford Industries partnership to deploy Skypod system in new multi-brand distribution centre

Warehouse robotics provider, Exotec, has been selected by Oxford Industries to automate its new distribution centre in Lyons, Georgia, USA.

Oxford Industries is a specialist in the apparel industry and owns several brands including Tommy Bahama, Lilly Pulitzer and Johnny Was.

The new 560,000+-square-foot facility is designed to process more than 20 million units a year, making it Exotec’s largest and most intricate robotic deployment to date. Its Skypod system, which will serve as the picking engine for the whole warehouse, will consist of over 450,000 storage locations and more than 450 robots.

Exotec will integrate its hardware and software with third-party machinery to offer end-to-end warehouse automation and support receiving, decanting, sorting, and packing, as well as outbound shipment. The system will also enable the company to handle returns, cutting the amount of time and labour needed to inspect, sort, and store returned items, streamlining the process of making it available for resale.

“As the largest Exotec deployment to date, the Oxford Industries project not only showcases the performance and scalability of our system, but also the sophistication of our integration capabilities.” says Romain Moulin, CEO and Co-founder at Exotec.

“Having a client like Oxford Industries select Exotec as the integrator for a project of this complexity speaks volumes about the trust they put in our ability to deliver end-to-end warehouse automation that goes beyond our standard Skypod system.”

“We are excited about making this large investment in an expanded facility in Toombs County which, together with the great workforce we already have here, has been a great place for Oxford for many years,” says Mark Kirby, Oxford’s Senior Vice President-Operations.

“This new facility, with convenient access to Southeastern U.S. ports, will be supported by Exotec’s next generation Skypod system and ensure best-in-class direct to consumer throughput capabilities for our brands.”

The DC is expected to open in late 2025.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Supply chain automation will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.