BESTSELLER’s New Warehouse Set to be One of Europe’s Most Highly Automated and Efficient Logistics Centres

Global fashion company BESTSELLER will partner with KNAPP, an industry leader in automation, to deliver technology, including more than 1,400 robots, for the company’s upcoming logistics centre in the Netherlands.

Located in Lelystad, 60 km east of Amsterdam, the 155,000 m² logistics centre will be built over the coming years. Logistics Center West (LCW) as the building is known, will feature cutting-edge technology to enhance efficiency and create optimal working conditions.

“Through our partnership with KNAPP we are aiming to develop one of the most highly automated logistics centres in the fashion industry and across Europe. Investing in this scale of technology will optimise the efficiency of the centre and the process of distributing products to retail customers in our largest markets,” says Allan Kyhe Kjærgaard, Logistics Director at BESTSELLER.

Automated piece picking and palletizing, an automated pallet storage and handling system, and more than 1,400 robots optimising fulfilment in the robotic shuttle system the OSR Shuttle Evo, are some of the new technologies KNAPP will implement at LCW.

“It is a special honour for us to build the most efficient logistics centre for BESTSELLER. The innovative approaches that we are pursuing with our technology and our expertise as a value chain technology partner with this concept will offer BESTSELLER better advantages along their supply chain. The one-touch and low-complexity concept represents a further milestone in the development of logistics centres,” says Franz Mathi, Chief Operations Officer, KNAPP.

A new scale of automation technology

The increased scale of automation technology set to be developed at the centre will deliver a high level of efficiency. The company expects that the centre will operate at more than 20,000 retrievals per hour, a significantly higher capacity than the system at the company’s largest current centre.

“The ambition for this logistics centre is one-touch automation, where products are received, processed, and shipped using limited manual handling. The dynamic solutions result in increased efficiency and reduced risk of redundancy caused by single machine malfunction in storing and retrieving items,” says Allan Kyhe Kjærgaard, Logistics Director at BESTSELLER.

Automation of picking products in fashion has traditionally been more difficult than in other industries. These are difficult for robots to select and manipulate compared to harder items with flat surfaces. At LCW, picking robots powered by AI learning technology, KNAPP’s Pick-it-Easy Robots, will supplement the work done at manual picking stations.

New jobs created

When LCW is fully operational at the end 2026, it is expected that 600 colleagues will be employed there. More than half will work hand in hand with robots. Automation will result in significantly easing physically demanding tasks such as loading pallets, while helping reduce the need for repetitive manual labour. At the same time, the investment in automation technology will create new jobs requiring a highly skilled workforce. Types of jobs include maintenance technicians, data analysts, mechanical, electrical and software engineers, as well as process and continuous improvement specialists.

“BESTSELLER’s customer experience will be prepared in the new warehouse by a software-driven breakdown of order streams into the different resources that are implemented. This means ideal use of AI-powered single unit picking robots that work alongside people at system guided goods-to-person workstations, that both compose the order for the individual store. The combination of robotics and human interaction allows for highest efficiency and quality while creating an excellent work environment,” says Johannes Holas, Vice President Fashion Solutions, KNAPP.

ABOUT LCW

• Located in Lelystad, 60 km east of Amsterdam, the 155,000 m2 logistics centre will be built over the coming years. Logistics Center West (LCW) as the building is known, will feature cutting-edge technology to enhance efficiency and create optimal working conditions.
• KNAPP will be responsible for the materials handling at LCW.
• Constructing the logistics centre will create approximately 600 highly skilled jobs and will greatly expand the company’s supply chain and support its growth. This will bring BESTSELLER closer to wholesale customers in Europe’s largest retail markets.
• Robots will be used to automate tasks requiring physically demanding and manual labour. Also, robotics and digitalisation make warehouse an interesting place to work, creating new job opportunities such as maintenance engineers, data analysts etc.
• The building was designed and engineered by Henning Larsen and Rambøll
• BESTSELLER expects the centre to be operational at the end of 2026.
• Read more about LCW on BESTSELLER’s website.

About BESTSELLER

• BESTSELLER is an international, family-owned fashion company with a strong foundation. Founded by the Holch Povlsen family in Denmark in 1975, BESTSELLER strives to bring people, fashion and technology together to achieve positive results for everyone.
• BESTSELLER has a range of more than 20 brands including JACK & JONES, VERO MODA and ONLY. Selling clothes and accessories for women, men, teenagers and children. Their products are based on the concept of good quality at competitive prices.
• Products are sold in 70 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Oceania and the Middle East.
• Products are sold in more than 2,700 branded retail stores and more than 16,000 multi-brand, department stores and online retailers worldwide.
• BESTSELLER employs more than 20,000 colleagues in more than 30 countries globally.

About KNAPP

• KNAPP is the technology partner for intelligent value chains. Headquartered in Austria, the KNAPP group provides all-in-one solutions for automation and digitalization, from production and distribution to point of sale.
• Excellent service and long-term collaboration make KNAPP the strong partner behind the success of their customers in the sectors healthcare, retail, food retail, fashion, wholesale and industry.
• 7,300 dedicated employees and 55 locations around the globe to support customers.