Major AutoStore implementation in Milton Keynes

WONDER IS a designer, manufacturer, distributor and omnichannel retailer of party products and supplies. It employs around 2,500 people worldwide, with 350 based in the UK. 

Element Logic also reconfigured the distribution centre by adding a 13,500 sq ft mezzanine floor to provide facilities for the company’s value-added services. This supports the significant growth demands for customised and personalised products.

Wonder’s chief executive Joe Hennigan, says: “It was a complex project and forms an essential element of our ongoing business transformation. We look forward to further evolving our use of the system as we continue to implement our plans to achieve our 2026 target.

“Element Logic and our distribution and logistics team have been outstanding in scoping and managing the AutoStore investment.”

39,500 tote bins

The AutoStore system installed is 145 ft wide and 100 ft deep and holds 39,500 tote bins in total. Wonder has placed over 35,000 SKUs in the automated system and acquired new conveyors to enhance the DC’s efficiencies further. An additional 2,500 oversized or fast-moving SKUs are being picked and packed separately. The robots can automatically pick from any of these 35,000+ SKUs in the smartest available routes on the grid to complete any combination of ordered goods for customers orders, and they can also work 24/7 due to their ability to take opportunity charging when the system is not at maximum capacity.

Being in one central location, the investment will enable increased stock availability, faster order turnaround time for all customer channels, and extended next-day delivery cut-off to 9pm for B2C customers. The Milton Keynes facility will distribute all brands within the Wonder family and all B2B and B2C sales channels by the middle of 2023.

The AutoStore investment and associated DC consolidation will also enable Wonder to reduce the annual road usage by its logistics vehicles of 200,000 miles per year as it removes the need to transport stock between warehouses in the UK. As part of the overall investment, the business has installed sensor-based LED lights in the DC to save energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint.

Element Logic UK sales director Gavin Harrison, explains: “At Element Logic, we believe that genuine trust and partnership with our clients is key to delivering successful projects. Our close collaboration with the team at Wonder enabled us to design and implement a system that simplifies their existing processes and achieves the most efficient material flow of goods throughout their warehouse, supporting their growth aspirations.

“From start to finish, our UK team managed and delivered the project, including the outbound conveyor system. We are proud to have provided Wonder with our eManager software to control the feed of orders from their ERP to the AutoStore, streamlining their operations and enabling their team to focus on what they do best.”

For more information, visit www.elementlogic.co.uk