Locus Robotics helps HelloFresh expand temperature controlled SKU capacity across brand portfolio
Locus Robotics reports that a cold storage hardware modification developed for HelloFresh has enabled the meal kit company to expand chilled fulfillment capacity from 100 SKUs to 500 SKUs, a fivefold increase that supports greater meal variety and new revenue opportunities across the HelloFresh brand portfolio.
Factor, a HelloFresh brand, first deployed 13 Locus Origin robots in July 2025 as part of an initial pilot. The robots averaged a mission time of 3 minutes and 36 seconds from order induction through box drop-off. HelloFresh expanded the deployment within three months with 26 additional robots, with plans to add EveryPlate fulfillment support later this year.
“Our customers expect more choice, more flexibility, and a consistently great experience,” says Brad Mesloh, Associate Director, Strategic Design at HelloFresh. “Delivering that in a chilled fulfillment environment requires precision, speed, and technology that can adapt to the complexity of our operations. Locus Robotics gave our teams a simple, easy-to-use AMR platform that was faster, safer, and required less space than other options we evaluated. The implementation was extremely smooth, with much of the testing completed virtually before go-live. Once the robots were on the floor, final validation took only a few days, making the deployment much quicker and simpler than our legacy systems.”
Refrigerated fulfillment creates a different set of demands for battery powered robots. Cold temperatures can reduce battery efficiency over time and use, and HelloFresh’s operating model requires the robots to remain inside chilled conditions for both work and charging. To meet that challenge, Locus Robotics developed a heated motor enhancement and related charging modifications.
“HelloFresh is scaling one of the most demanding fulfillment models in the market: high volume, high variety, and temperature-controlled from start to finish,” says Jasmine Lombardi, Chief Customer Officer. “By increasing capacity and expanding automation across HelloFresh’s portfolio of brands, Locus Robotics is enabling greater meal choice for its customers while maintaining the speed and precision its fulfillment model demands.”
Locus Robotics supports approximately 12,000 square feet of HelloFresh’s chilled fulfillment space, including two high speed meal kit picking lines. In some workflows, its robots move orders directly from induction to drop-off, helping HelloFresh move products faster while maintaining order tracking.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Automation will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
