The food logistics specialist Veloq, part of the Rohlik Group, and the Norwegian technology provider AutoStore have opened a new fulfillment center for online grocery in Vienna. The facility marks the beginning of close collaboration to introduce automated solutions for grocery retail on an international level, as both companies emphasize.
The Vienna site is the first AutoStore installation worldwide to integrate real-time shipping. In this process, picked orders are automatically sorted according to delivery routes. This process replaces manual sorting, increases throughput efficiency, and simultaneously reduces the time, labor, and cost burden along the entire supply chain. The system enables handling orders from a range of up to 20,000 items within just 30 minutes.
It also takes into account sensitive product groups such as fresh goods, frozen products, bakery items, and pharmacy items.
Velog x AutoStore: Automated Facility for Grocery Retail
The automated facility is designed for flexibility. It can be deployed in both large central warehouses and smaller urban locations. This lowers the entry barriers for retailers to use modern fulfillment technology. The basis is the so-called full-stack platform from Veloq, which unites software, hardware, and operational intelligence in one system. It has been developed specifically for the needs of grocery retail and is already in use in five European markets. Key metrics include 94 percent order accuracy, on-time deliveries, and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) of over
90 points.
AutoStore brings scalable warehouse automation technology into the collaboration. Veloq complements this with an in-house developed software architecture for the food sector. The aim is to provide grocery retailers worldwide with rapid access to AI-optimized fulfillment solutions that are specifically tailored to complex requirements such as short shelf lives, temperature-sensitive products, and highly fluctuating demand.
Reference facility in Vienna: seven temperature zones, fresh produce, pharmacy, and bakery
The Vienna site serves as a reference for further facilities planned worldwide. Veloq announced that, in the future, automated systems for grocery retail will also be offered in other regions — including North America. In that region, the company sees a comparable starting position to
Europe: rising customer expectations, a shortage of skilled labor, and a high demand for efficient, scalable infrastructure for same-day deliveries.
The Vienna facility comprises seven temperature zones and enables volume-based picking of fresh produce. It also includes an in-house pharmacy and a bakery line. Route planning is AI-assisted and real-time. From order to delivery, typically less than three hours elapse.
By integrating into the AutoStore ecosystem and the joint rollout of scalable automation solutions, both companies aim to sustainably increase the performance of fulfillment processes in grocery retail. The Vienna site demonstrates how, through the combination of specialized software, robust hardware and industry-specific process intelligence, a new standard in food logistics can be set.
