How automation will support the rise of the co-packers

The UK is one of the biggest hubs for e-commerce, with 60 million users digitally purchasing goods.

Over a quarter of all retail sales are driven by e-commerce and third-party logistic companies (3PLs) and co-packers are increasingly playing a supporting role to sustain growth and manage fulfilment.

Offering accurate and efficient end-to-end fulfilment services, co-packing sites are built around flexibility and agility. We are witnessing an increase in demand for automated and robotic solutions from co-packers and believe that this trend will gain traction, particularly as warehouse labour shortages continue to impact the sector.

Automation is helping co-packers remain agile and responsive to evolving customer needs, and flexible, random solutions will become increasingly sought after to ensure maximum return on investment is achieved. Systems that can manage a multitude of high-speed product runs, regardless of size, will not only streamline operations but ensure that the co-packer can increase capacity.

Demand for energy-efficient automation will also grow as customers push ahead with sustainable objectives. Systems which enable instant acceleration and deceleration while only using power when needed.

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