The proposed merger of Kroger and Albertson’s and the rise of multi-channel food delivery and retail services will change the way consumers will receive their daily bread. It also will change the way food distributors and suppliers will have to package and produce that produce.
A recent blog post from Rittal talks about some of those industry challenges. “The growth of the e-grocery market has put providers in a position to either build new warehouses and distribution centers or retrofit existing buildings to suit their needs,” the blog post notes. “With more and more companies opting to retrofit, their primary challenge becomes adapting to space constraints of older facilities and creating an industrial automation infrastructure with a smaller physical footprint.
“For example, innovative uses of space via overhead conveyor systems can help enhance the movement and inventorying of products while still keeping space constraints at the top of mind,” Rittal states in the post. “Because overhead systems utilize the space above the warehouse floor, designers and engineers need compact industrial enclosures with variable mounting and wiring options to facilitate this kind of warehouse automation.”
Rittal cites a study that says the online grocery industry will make up one in five purchases by 2026, almost doubling the current rate.