PUMA - Geiselwind Multi-Channel Automated Distribution Center

Project Overview

PUMA, the German sporting goods specialist, sought to elevate its multi-channel fulfillment capabilities with a highly automated central distribution center in Geiselwind, Germany. Driven by its corporate mantra "FOREVER FASTER," the company aimed to deliver products to customers as quickly as possible while addressing industry and regional challenges—including demographic change and low local unemployment that created labor scarcity.

The core objectives were to consolidate retail and wholesale fulfillment into a single central location, achieve rapid order processing, and ensure long-term operational security through automation. PUMA required a solution that could handle high annual dispatch volumes, minimize order-to-goods-issue time, and integrate seamlessly with its multi-channel business model. The choice of Geiselwind as the central location was strategic, enabling consolidated supply from one site to maximize operational efficiency.

TGW Logistics was selected as the partner due to its industry expertise, ability to manage large-scale projects, and long-standing collaborative relationship with PUMA. The centerpiece of the solution is TGW’s FlashPick® system, designed to deliver the speed and efficiency aligned with PUMA’s brand values.

Technical Solution

TGW FlashPick® System (Core Automation)

The high-performance core of the distribution center is TGW’s FlashPick® system, a goods-to-person automation solution optimized for fast, accurate order fulfillment. The system orchestrates the entire picking process, from retrieving items from storage to delivering them to operators at ergonomic workstations. Its integration with the shuttle warehouse and picking stations ensures a seamless workflow that minimizes manual intervention and maximizes speed.

Key Features

The 700,000-storage-location shuttle warehouse provides exceptional inventory capacity, enabling PUMA to stock a wide range of sporting goods and support 74 million annual dispatches. This high-density storage ensures efficient space utilization in the central distribution center.

The FlashPick® system’s 10-minute average order-to-goods-issue time is a defining feature, directly delivering on PUMA’s "FOREVER FASTER" promise. This rapid processing ensures customers receive orders quickly, enhancing satisfaction across retail and wholesale channels.

Ergonomic PickCenter One workstations reduce operator fatigue and improve productivity, addressing the labor scarcity challenge by making the most of available staff. The goods-to-person design minimizes physical strain while maximizing picking speed.

The system’s multi-channel support allows PUMA to handle both retail and wholesale fulfillment from a single location, consolidating operations and simplifying supply chain management. This consolidation reduces operational complexity and improves scalability.

The long-standing partnership between PUMA and TGW ensures seamless project delivery and ongoing support, with TGW’s industry expertise aligning perfectly with PUMA’s specific fulfillment needs.

Results & Benefits

The distribution center achieves an annual dispatch capacity of up to 74 million items, meeting the high-volume demands of PUMA’s multi-channel business. This capacity ensures the company can scale with market growth without compromising fulfillment speed.

The average order-to-goods-issue time of just 10 minutes delivers on PUMA’s "FOREVER FASTER" mantra, providing customers with rapid access to products and strengthening brand loyalty. This speed is a competitive differentiator in the fast-paced sporting goods market.

Consolidating retail and wholesale fulfillment into a single central location simplifies operations, reduces supply chain complexity, and lowers costs associated with multiple distribution sites. It also enables more consistent customer service across channels.

Automation addresses the demographic change and low unemployment challenges in Geiselwind, reducing PUMA’s reliance on scarce labor. This ensures long-term operational security and maintains the company’s ability to deliver products quickly.

The ergonomic workstations and streamlined workflows improve operator efficiency and job satisfaction, reducing turnover and enhancing productivity—critical in a tight labor market.

Challenges & Solutions

PUMA’s primary challenge was delivering on its "FOREVER FASTER" brand promise across retail and wholesale channels. TGW’s FlashPick® system addressed this by enabling 10-minute order-to-issue processing and 74 million items/year capacity, ensuring rapid customer supply.

Demographic change and low unemployment in Geiselwind created labor scarcity, threatening future operational capacity. The high-automation solution reduces labor dependency, ensuring PUMA can maintain fast fulfillment even with limited available staff.

Consolidating two distinct business lines (retail and wholesale) into a single distribution center required a flexible, scalable system. TGW’s integrated shuttle warehouse and picking solution supports both channels seamlessly, eliminating the need for separate facilities and streamlining operations.

System Integrator

TGW Logistics served as the system integrator and technology partner for the project, delivering its flagship FlashPick® system as the core of PUMA’s automated distribution center. With years of experience in the retail and fashion industry, TGW brought the expertise needed to design a solution tailored to PUMA’s specific multi-channel fulfillment needs.

TGW’s responsibilities included designing the integrated system (shuttle warehouse, PickCenter One workstations, and software), supplying equipment, installation, and commissioning. The company’s ability to manage large-scale projects and collaborate closely with PUMA was critical to delivering the high-performance solution.

The successful implementation reflects TGW’s alignment with PUMA’s corporate values, including handling project pressure with a collaborative, solution-focused approach. The long-standing partnership between the two companies ensured seamless communication and a solution that perfectly integrates with PUMA’s operational goals—delivering speed, efficiency, and long-term security.