Specialty grocer boosts omnichannel efficiency with micro-fulfillment

H Mart is adopting a supply chain solution that is growing in popularity with many of its larger competitors.

Based in New Jersey with more than 97 stores across the U.S., H Mart is the country’s largest Asian supermarket chain. The retailer is deploying robotics and warehouse management technologies from AutoStore to create a complete micro-fulfillment solution to support its online grocery operations in Carlstadt, N.J. 

Micro-fulfillment technology automates picking and packing, using robotic systems to efficiently locate and retrieve products stored in a space too compact for human workers, which can include the back of a store. Major grocers including The Giant Company, Kroger, and Walmart are all piloting micro-fulfillment in their e-commerce supply chains.  

The AutoStore solution is designed to increase fulfillment efficiency for a broad range of grocery packaged goods along with fresh and frozen items. H Mart, which offers traditional Western groceries as well as Asian foods, intends to reduce the average distance between order fulfillment and its customers, speeding up both in-store pickup and home delivery. 

“Hmart.com has proven to be an important offering to our customers,” said Vince Colatriano, executive VP of H Mart. “Hmart.com enables our customers to experience the food that lets them feel at home, just as when they shop in-store. We’ve partnered with the best-automated technology in the field to fulfill our orders quickly and efficiently.” 
 
Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company, is working on the H Mart AutoStore implementation project as a supply chain integration partner.