Zalando and retail sectors advance automation through new logistics hubs and humanoid robots

Zalando and logistics provider GXO have unveiled their advanced technological facility in Montereau-sur-le-Jard, France. The site, representing a 300 million euro investment, spans over 200,000 square meters and is designed to store up to 16 million fashion items. The facility utilizes fourth-generation automation, including robotic picking cells and advanced sorting systems, to manage hundreds of thousands of orders daily for the French and Belgian markets.

In a separate development in the retail sector, Danish startup Hive Robots, using machines manufactured by Unitree, is testing humanoid robots in Føtex supermarkets near Copenhagen. The experiment, conducted in partnership with the Salling Group, aims to automate shelf restocking. Currently, human operators guide the robots to train their AI; the goal is to achieve autonomous nighttime restocking by early 2027. This technology is intended to alleviate repetitive physical tasks for employees, allowing them to focus more on customer service.