Decathlon makes Geek+ robotics partner for European e-commerce logistics upgrade

• Decathlon continues to be a pioneer in the retail logistics upgrade with newly modernized warehouses in France, Poland, and Italy.
• These are the first of a series of European projects for Geek+ with Decathlon, building on a highly successful, long-standing partnership in Asia Pacific.
• Geek+'s AMR technology will enable Decathlon to respond to increased e-commerce volume and customer demand for speed and quality.

CASTELNAU, France, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Geek+, a global leader in AI robotics technology, and Decathlon, one of the world's largest retailers of sporting goods, are pleased to announce the successful deployment of hundreds of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in three key European distribution centers to automate Decathlon's e-commerce logistics platform.

The modernization of these three centers, located in Castelnau, France, Łódź, Poland, and Campania, Italy, leverages Geek+'s AMR technology to enable Decathlon to increase its storage capacity, streamline its logistics processes, and better serve its expanding online customer base across these countries.

The two companies have long collaborated to deliver outstanding logistics services in Asia, and this upgrade, achieved within the past six months, sees Decathlon similarly entrust the modernization of several warehouses to Geek+. Geek+'s cutting-edge AMR and AI technology give Decathlon a high degree of flexibility.

Sébastien Alcasena, Logistics Transformation Manager at Decathlon said: "The past two years represent a turning point in how people engage with e-commerce, and we have to provide service of the highest quality. In Geek+, we have found a great partner with a flexible and scalable robot-based solution to meet our customers' expectations. We look forward to continuing our logistics transformation in Europe."

New customer expectations for e-commerce – higher volumes of orders and returns, same- and next-day delivery, and near perfect accuracy – have brought new challenges for retailers and a need to address logistics bottlenecks. With 1045 stores in 25 European countries, Decathlon requires a highly flexible and fast supply chain, and has turned to Geek+'s goods-to-person solutions to optimize its B2C logistics.

Jackson Zhang, Vice President of Geek+ Europe said: "Decathlon placed special emphasis on scalability at an international level when looking for an automation partner in their search for a solution that could cope with the rapid growth and the challenges of their e-commerce business. Geek+ is uniquely positioned to support this objective, having a successful track record of projects in China and the wider Asia Pacific region that have permitted double-digit growth in Decathlon's warehouse flows."

Geek+ tailor made a new robotics solution for each distribution center using hundreds of its P-series picking robots, as well as the RoboShuttle, Geek+'s next-generation tote-to-person AMR solution. The number and configuration of AMRs operating within Decathlon's distribution centers can be easily adjusted to respond to fluctuations in order volumes during peak season. Unlike traditional infrastructure, the AMR systems allow for flexible maintenance and modification without any interruption of service.

The upgrades made to these three centers represent just the beginning of the collaboration between Decathlon and Geek+ in Europe. Given the rapid success of this project, the companies aim to identify other areas where Geek+'s AMR technology can help Decathlon deliver the world-class e-commerce service that has become its new standard.

About Geek+

Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management. Geek+ counts 300 global customers and more than 20,000 robots sold worldwide. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 1500 employees and is headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and Singapore. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.geekplus.com

About Decathlon

Decathlon, a leading company in the sports market, combines two activities: the creation of sports products and their distribution online and in stores.

Based on an integrated model, Decathlon controls all the stages in the life of its products: from research and development to sales, including design, production, and logistics. Present in France and abroad with more than a thousand points of sale, the teams of services, brands and stores have been working since 1976 with one constant ambition: to innovate in all areas to remain the main partner of all athletes.