AutoStore™ holds a simple yet powerful vision: to store and move things for everyone, everywhere.
Sales Director UK&I at AutoStore System Ltd
We do that by developing robotics and advanced software focused on intelligent fulfilment. The step-change benefits for our customers include more speed, accuracy, reliability and efficiency as well as more attractive, optimised workplaces.
It’s a combination that has helped us flourish into a global technology company. AutoStore currently has 1750+ systems installed in nearly 60 countries, and many of our customers are global household names, including Puma, Gucci, Siemens, DHL, HelloFresh and Asda.
Our robust and diverse partner network plays an important role in our promise to customers. We work through 23 global partners, each with unique attributes, of which eight are active in the UK. By listening carefully to our community’s complex needs, we help brands exceed customer expectations.
With AutoStore™, brands gain speed, efficiency, and improved workplaces.
And much more floor space.
Russell Holmes, Sales Director UK&I at AutoStore System Ltd spoke to Warehouse & Logistics News.
What are your best-known products/solutions/services?
AutoStore utilises robotic technology to automate & optimise warehouse operations. Built around a dense grid structure, sophisticated software navigates a fleet of robots to continuously complete fulfilment requests with systems driving performance in excess of 40,000 order lines per hour.
Recent developments include further deployment in demanding temperature-controlled applications, including our step-change ‘Frozen-Only’ grid, as well as new product releases such as AutoCase, which automates the loading and unloading of full cases, and FlexBins, which increase storage density capability and SKU variety.
We’ve also enhanced CarouselAI, our automated robotic picking station, by improving bin placement to enable faster retrievals and support lighter item handling.
How do you think your industry sector is performing at the moment?
Driven by the continuing success of e-commerce, the UK’s warehouse and logistics sector is large and growing, but it must also adapt to the twin challenges of labour shortages and rising costs. Global volatility and unpredictability mean that warehouse leaders must have the facility to react quickly to changeable market conditions.
Automation adoption is growing, with increased deployment of data analytics and focus on flexible supply chains. We’re also seeing more exploration of re-shoring options in the manufacturing sector, with consequent implications for the warehousing element.
While automation adoption is healthy, global uncertainties have led logistics leaders to be more risk-averse, with decision-making extended over longer-than-usual periods.
How many markets are you in and what is your biggest market?
Globally, we have implemented over 1750 sites deployed in 60 countries. The versatility and scalability of our solutions makes them a perfect fit for many verticals including retail e-commerce, fashion, grocery (including temperature-controlled and frozen-only), healthcare, industrials, and 3PLs.
We view the UK as a high growth area, with over 60 sites already deployed and many more coming on stream.
What are your most recent product innovations?
Our new products for 2026 include AutoCase, which automates the movement of full cases in and out of storage and enables specific item-picking until empty. By combining case handling and piece-picking in one flow, throughput is increased and manual handling is reduced, improving cost and safety.
FlexBins enable our three different bin sizes to be integrated into a single grid, boosting storage density and SKU variety. The benefit for customers is the ability to handle a wider range of products without sacrificing speed or reliability.
Other innovations include VersaPort, our modular, configurable warehouse workstation, and CarouselAI, our fully-automated robotic piece-picking solution.
What is your strategy for growth and success in 2026?
We’ll continue to work with our partners to deliver outstanding intelligent fulfilment offerings across a broad range of verticals. We believe our new products can only enhance the existing proven customer benefits of the AutoStore system and we are confident that our new releases will help them solve the challenges they tell us they face – labour uncertainty, pressure on warehouse space, and delivering consistent excellence to match their customer expectations.
Can you tell us about any areas, such as in AI, where you’re currently making technical advances?
We’re excited about the opportunities AI brings to our customers. Our CarouseAI robotic picking station enables warehouses to work smarter, not harder – without extra labour costs. For the customer, it means best-in-class SKU coverage and fully autonomous picking, with performance continuously optimised. It’s very easy to both set up and operate, too.
Can you foresee autonomous mobile robots and goods-to-person systems becoming more mainstream to improve efficiency and reduce manual labour?
Certainly – the financial benefits of effective, appropriate automation are clear. By combining the flexibility of our solutions with our diverse partner network we are seeing continuing wider adoption.
By increasing labour efficiency, optimising warehouse space, lowering error rates, and reducing inventory holding costs, combined with 24-hour operation, AutoStore has in some cases reduced operating costs by 40%, with a pay back period of under two years.
What sets your company apart from others?
AutoStore’s secret weapon is our extremely robust, dynamic and diversified partner network.
Each partner is selected for the unique attributes they bring, giving us the ability to align with end user requirements much more closely on a customer to customer and project-by-project basis.
How future-proof and flexible are your solutions?
In a word, extremely.
The first AutoStore was deployed over 20 years ago and that first system is still operating at above 99.7% uptime and availability today. Long-term, proven robustness at this dependable level is essential when entering into business transformation projects.
Another crucial factor in future-proof, flexible technology is scalability. AutoStore solutions are highly scalable – 75% of solutions are expanded within 18 months of going live, while some have also been completely re-deployed, having the flexibility to alter SKU profiles matching trends and seasonality.
Our flexibility extends much further than the core technology itself. AutoStore also offers an ASaaS (AutoStore as a Service) model, allowing end users to deploy capital in other areas of their business, while still enjoying the benefits of an AutoStore on a lease basis, thus reducing risk in uncertain times.
How would you sum up your company in three words?
Lean. Transparent. Bold.
AUTOSTORE
07745 526 541
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