MUNICH and BOR, CZECH REPUBLIC — Zooplus, a leading online pet platform in Europe, and GXO Logistics, Inc., a pure-play contract logistics provider, have announced a new logistics center. According to the companies, the facility represents a significant milestone in their partnership.

Located in Bor, the new fulfillment center leverages GXO’s state-of-the-art technology, providing Zooplus with various capabilities and allowing it to enhance its presence throughout the European pet markets. It boasts a parcel fulfillment capacity of 60,000 square meters (645,834 square feet) and uses advanced automation technology, which is expected to help Zooplus increase its daily delivery capacity and offer customers faster delivery times.

“The new fulfilment center in the Czech Republic perfectly complements our existing logistics infrastructure and takes it to the next level,” said Joost Bous, chief operating officer of Zooplus. “By working with our trusted partner GXO, we gain access to tailored technology and automation solutions, enabling us to respond more quickly and individually to different regional consumer needs. In this way, we are enhancing our value proposition to our community of pet parents and are consistently taking another step forward in our journey of creating the ultimate, most convenient pet destination in Europe. Ultimately, we are advancing our logistics network into a future defined by innovation and a steadfast commitment to customer-centric values.”

The facility in Bor is capable of managing a significant range of 14,000 pet products, from supplies to food, loading nearly 36 parcels per minute and shipping over 200,000 customer parcels weekly, according to GXO. The center will support increasing customer demand throughout Central and Western Europe, according to Zooplus.

In addition to providing high capacity, the fulfillment center was also designed to align with Zooplus’s and GXO’s high environmental, social and ethical business practices. It is BREEAM-compliant and features LED lighting, solar panels and enhanced energy efficiency. The facility uses automated height reduction machines for almost every parcel produced, which reduces package sizes and maximizes transport efficiency to help Zooplus reduce its paper and plastic usage and carbon emissions. The center also includes an intelligent battery charging system and advanced queuing process to reduce the number of batteries needed for handling equipment.

The new facility is part of GXO's and Zooplus’s multi-year contract, which was announced in early 2022. The companies have been collaborating over the past five years, with GXO providing Zooplus warehousing solutions. According to GXO, its operations for Zooplus in Spain have nearly tripled in product variety and outbound volume during the past five years.

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with Zooplus in Europe,” said Richard Cawston, president of Europe at GXO. “Since 2018, we have helped Zooplus lower delivery costs in the Iberian Peninsula. With our new facility in Bor, equipped with industry-leading technology, we are strategically positioned to support Zooplus’s growth across Europe, enhancing access to major markets. We look forward to building on our established partnership and continuously improving our service.”

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