How Catch is Dealing with Increased Customer Demand

The new FC aims to increase the speed of delivery for residents in the Eastern seaboard, giving shoppers in Queensland and NSW faster delivery. According to Catch, the new FC will enable delivery to take place between 24-48 hours.

The pandemic’s acceleration of online retail has continued to benefit the Catch team, the business shared in an update. In the first half of FY22, Catch reported a GTV increase of one percent, with three million active customers in its database.

“As an Australian owned and founded business, servicing Aussies in a meaningful and convenient way is at the core of what we do,” explained Pete Sauerborn, the MD of Catch. “The pandemic really showed  consumers how beneficial online shopping can be, and with increasing demand we knew we needed to increase our fulfilment capacity.”

Within the new FC in Sydney, Catch plans to implement 360 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), which are deployed to bring racks of products to the Catch warehouse team. The AMRs are capable of picking 105,000 units per day via 5,800 mobile racks – they aim to reduce inaccuracy in inventory levels, and reduce out of stock orders.

Out of stock orders have been a pain point for retailers and consumers in the last few months, with a recent Trajectory Report indicating that 35 percent of Australian shoppers have had an order cancelled due to the item being out of stock.

“What our Sydney fulfilment centre will offer is more: more products, an expanded team, increased robotics and advanced warehouse technology, and an increased ability to service Australians more efficiently,” Sauerborn explained. “We are able to do this with highly sophisticated technology, making this new centre our most technologically advanced to date.”

Further to the AMRs in the warehouse, Catch’s new FC will also champion a sustainable edge. Box sizing technology will ensure minimal waste, ensuring each item is packed to a box that fits perfectly. Moreover, the warehouse will also feature ‘intelligent’ lighting, solar panels, double glazing and water tanks to power the on-site gardens and toilets.

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