SpartanNash Announces Plans for First Micro-Fulfillment Center; Tony Sarsam and Tom Swanson Comment
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A new format will be supporting SpartanNash’s operations, as the retailer is looking to optimize the supply chain with its first-ever Micro-Fulfillment Center (MFC) in Caledonia, Michigan. The facility will stand at 55,000 square feet with capacity for 16,000 products, supporting SpartanNash’s pick and pack Fast Lane program to fulfill orders for 24 Ada Fresh Market, D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, and Forest Hills Foods stores in West Michigan.
“Fast Lane has been a tremendous value-add for our store guests as the pandemic heightened the importance of safe, efficient grocery shopping, pickup, and delivery,” President and CEO Tony Sarsam said. “The Micro-Fulfillment Center is an exciting investment designed to further elevate the Fast Lane shopping experience as we strive to continuously improve our fulfillment speed and product availability.”
Fast Lane is the company’s proprietary, intuitive online grocery shopping solution, a press release explained. Fast Lane orders are fulfilled by personal shoppers who focus on selecting fresh, high-quality items and who can communicate with guests via text messaging to determine preferences such as ripeness of fruit.
The grand opening for the Micro-Fulfillment Center is scheduled for July 26, which coincides with Fast Lane’s four-year anniversary. The facility will support more than 1,000 Fast Lane orders daily once fully operational, more than doubling current capabilities by increasing efficiency, freeing up space and stock in stores, and giving customers a larger product assortment.
“We look forward to delivering an even higher level of quality and convenience to our store guests than they already enjoy with Fast Lane,” said Tom Swanson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Retail. “The technology and design of the MFC will allow us to be three to four times more efficient than fulfilling orders in-store. The new process increases our already great service effectiveness and gives our Fast Lane customers even more variety and assortment—all benefits we’re excited to introduce as a result of the MFC.”
Will this strategy lead to even further expansion for this program? Keep reading ANUK to find out.
