Logistics solutions for wholesale

Are You Ready for Logistics without Limits?

KNAPP offers the latest technologies and real innovation while also being your reliable partner – your value chain tech partner. By combining decades of expertise with the broadest technology portfolio on the market, KNAPP works with you to develop intelligent automation solutions for your B2B warehouse. Our systems think, learn and grow with your requirements, creating more transparency, availability and future-proofness along your entire supply chain.

The optimal way to integrate trends and market requirements into modern automation solutions.

The optimal way to integrate trends and market requirements into modern automation solutions.

For us, the key to success lies in authentic partnerships, innovative concepts and integrated solutions. As a family company with a long, rich history and decades of experience in wholesale logistics, we appreciate that each customer is unique. Transparency, maximum system availability and flexible options for expansion are the central pillars of our philosophy. Our wholesale logistics team focuses on tailored solutions for various business sectors.

  • Electronics and electric appliances
  • Spare parts and tools
  • Wholesale electrical and plumbing supply
  • Workshop and assembly supplies
  • Wholesale books
  • Optics, lifestyle and fashion
  • Office supplies
  • Jewelry
Heiko Süss and Rudolf Bauernhofer

Heiko Süss & Rudolf Bauernhofer
Vice Presidents Wholesale, KNAPP

Forward thinking - together!
Let's talk!
Email: sales@knapp.com

#passion4wholesale

If you want to engineer change, think in possibilities instead of in limitations, and develop automation solutions with capacity for growth. This philosophy is how we have been inspiring our customers through the years and winning them as partners.
Heiko Süss, Rudolf Bauernhofer
Vice Presidents Wholesale Solutions, KNAPP

Are you interested in an automation solution for your wholesale warehouse?

Our customers trust in our expertise

Allied logo
Würth logo
Penguin Random House logo
Diesel Technic company logo
Saint-Gobain logo
FNAC DARTY logo
Digi-Key logo
Brødrene Dahl logo
Schukat logo
Office1 logo
Kramp logo
Arvato Supply Chain Solutions logo
Sonepar logo
Garmin logo
EssilorLuxottica-Logo in fetter schwarzer Schrift auf weißem Hintergrund.

Electronics logistics

Eine Person scannt ein Produkt an einem Arbeitsplatz mit einem Computermonitor, auf dem die Inventarsoftware von Retail Logistik angezeigt wird, umgeben von Förderbändern und Lagerbehältern in einem Lager oder Fulfillment Center.

An electrifying wholesale warehouse.

Wholesale warehouses have to manage a tremendous variety of items – often large quantities of sensitive or high-value products in a small space – while simultaneously being able to provide rapid, error-free order delivery.

KNAPP wholesale logistics offers maximum efficiency by handling sensitive items safely and delivering the highest accuracy in stock keeping – even with large quantities. Thanks to flexible systems, mastering seasonal peaks and individual project orders becomes effortless.

Eine Person mit Handschuhen schüttet kleine schwarze Gegenstände aus einem Messbecher in einen rosafarbenen Beutel auf einer digitalen Waage, während ein OSR Shuttle™ Evo und Verpackungsmaterial, einschließlich einer Schere, in der Nähe auf der Werkbank stehen.

Schukat shows how it’s done!
Automation – the competitive edge

Forward-looking planning and an innovative spirit connect us with Schukat electronic in a partnership based on shared values and powerful wholesale logistics. Since 2018, the Evo Shuttle with 64,000 storage locations and 34 levels has provided maximum efficiency in their wholesale warehouse. The scalable solution featuring six goods-to-person work stations and intelligent KiSoft software including an SAP® EWM interface enables Schukat to provide their customers with highly individualized service.

Working closely together as equals and sharing a spirit of innovation made this a showcase project for automation in electronics wholesale – a flexible, scalable and future-proof solution.

I’m proud that I still enjoy striking out in new directions. That’s what made working with KNAPP so interesting for us. KNAPP recognized that their customers have ideas and needs; they are willing to actively work on these tasks and to forge new paths.
Georg Schukat
CEO of Schukat electronics

Electronics logistics

Eine Person scannt ein Produkt an einem Arbeitsplatz mit einem Computermonitor, auf dem die Inventarsoftware von Retail Logistik angezeigt wird, umgeben von Förderbändern und Lagerbehältern in einem Lager oder Fulfillment Center.

An electrifying wholesale warehouse.

Wholesale warehouses have to manage a tremendous variety of items – often large quantities of sensitive or high-value products in a small space – while simultaneously being able to provide rapid, error-free order delivery.

KNAPP wholesale logistics offers maximum efficiency by handling sensitive items safely and delivering the highest accuracy in stock keeping – even with large quantities. Thanks to flexible systems, mastering seasonal peaks and individual project orders becomes effortless.

Eine Person mit Handschuhen schüttet kleine schwarze Gegenstände aus einem Messbecher in einen rosafarbenen Beutel auf einer digitalen Waage, während ein OSR Shuttle™ Evo und Verpackungsmaterial, einschließlich einer Schere, in der Nähe auf der Werkbank stehen.

Schukat shows how it’s done!
Automation – the competitive edge

Forward-looking planning and an innovative spirit connect us with Schukat electronic in a partnership based on shared values and powerful wholesale logistics. Since 2018, the Evo Shuttle with 64,000 storage locations and 34 levels has provided maximum efficiency in their wholesale warehouse. The scalable solution featuring six goods-to-person work stations and intelligent KiSoft software including an SAP® EWM interface enables Schukat to provide their customers with highly individualized service.

Working closely together as equals and sharing a spirit of innovation made this a showcase project for automation in electronics wholesale – a flexible, scalable and future-proof solution.

I’m proud that I still enjoy striking out in new directions. That’s what made working with KNAPP so interesting for us. KNAPP recognized that their customers have ideas and needs; they are willing to actively work on these tasks and to forge new paths.
Georg Schukat
CEO of Schukat electronics

Spare parts logistics:

Automatisiertes Lager mit Metallregalen, Förderbändern und Lagerbehältern. Ein "Zutritt verboten"-Schild ist über der Förderstrecke zu sehen. Der Bereich wirkt sauber, modern und hochindustrialisiert.

A well-oiled wholesale warehouse

What makes a wholesale warehouse for spare parts a particular challenge is the enormous variety of items with small numbers of each individual part. Using an intelligent automation solution is essential for ensuring economical and precise availability, creating order out of complexity and providing spare parts efficiently.

  • Automated small parts warehouses provide space-effective, rapid storage and retrieval, which is ideal for the tremendous variety of items.
  • Digital warehouse management systems (WMS) provide seamless inventory control and optimize replenishment processes.
  • Intelligent picking solutions such as Pick-it-Easy work stations reduce errors and accelerate shipping.

A complex wholesale warehouse becomes a smart supply hub that is ready for any challenge.

Eine Person, die ein "Kramp"-Shirt trägt, bedient einen großen Touchscreen-Monitor in einem Lagerhaus, das von Regalen mit roten Lagerkästen und verschiedenen Artikeln umgeben ist.

KRAMP - It’s that easy
When a wholesale warehouse works right.

What began in 2012 with a common vision is a European success story today: KRAMP, the continent’s leading technical supplier for agriculture, forestry and lawn care, now relies on automated wholesale warehouses by KNAPP at six of their locations.

In 2018, KRAMP demonstrated their dedication to innovative power and efficiency with the installation of the first Evo Shuttle in the world at their Dutch facility. The solution? A highly flexible and scalable logistics platform, one that makes the 500,000 spare parts available with speed, reliability and intelligence. “It’s that easy.”

Spare parts logistics:

Automatisiertes Lager mit Metallregalen, Förderbändern und Lagerbehältern. Ein "Zutritt verboten"-Schild ist über der Förderstrecke zu sehen. Der Bereich wirkt sauber, modern und hochindustrialisiert.

A well-oiled wholesale warehouse

What makes a wholesale warehouse for spare parts a particular challenge is the enormous variety of items with small numbers of each individual part. Using an intelligent automation solution is essential for ensuring economical and precise availability, creating order out of complexity and providing spare parts efficiently.

  • Automated small parts warehouses provide space-effective, rapid storage and retrieval, which is ideal for the tremendous variety of items.
  • Digital warehouse management systems (WMS) provide seamless inventory control and optimize replenishment processes.
  • Intelligent picking solutions such as Pick-it-Easy work stations reduce errors and accelerate shipping.

A complex wholesale warehouse becomes a smart supply hub that is ready for any challenge.

Eine Person, die ein "Kramp"-Shirt trägt, bedient einen großen Touchscreen-Monitor in einem Lagerhaus, das von Regalen mit roten Lagerkästen und verschiedenen Artikeln umgeben ist.

KRAMP - It’s that easy
When a wholesale warehouse works right.

What began in 2012 with a common vision is a European success story today: KRAMP, the continent’s leading technical supplier for agriculture, forestry and lawn care, now relies on automated wholesale warehouses by KNAPP at six of their locations.

In 2018, KRAMP demonstrated their dedication to innovative power and efficiency with the installation of the first Evo Shuttle in the world at their Dutch facility. The solution? A highly flexible and scalable logistics platform, one that makes the 500,000 spare parts available with speed, reliability and intelligence. “It’s that easy.”

Logistics for tools and assembly materials:

Offene Kartons auf einem Förderband in einem Lagerhaus, die verschiedene Produkte enthalten, darunter rote und weiße Behälter, schwarze Säcke und orangefarbene Verpackungen.

An integrated wholesale warehouse. 

Companies in workshop and assembly supply are faced with complex requirements surrounding their wholesale warehouses. The tremendous number of different products in small quantities makes stock management complex and prone to error. Simultaneously, customers expect fast deliveries and high product availability, especially from B2B companies. Furthermore, physically strenuous tasks combined with the growing skilled labor shortage are making manual processes even more difficult.

In this environment, targeted automation can be a big help.

  • Automated systems handle thousands of different items quickly and precisely, even when quantities are small.
  • Intelligent control systems and digital stock management speed up picking and delivery.
  • Robots do the heavy lifting, while ergonomic work stations improve working conditions for people.
  • Automation solutions can also be flexibly expanded to adapt to growing requirements and new business models.
Pick it easy robot sortiert in einem Wholesale Lager Artikel in einen weißen Behälter.

Würth - How to move tools and assembly materials intelligently.

Würth Industrie Service and KNAPP are connected by much more than technology. They are partners in innovation and have been setting new standards for years. Together, they have implemented numerous automation projects and warehouses that not only optimize processes but also focus on the human worker.

With robotic solutions like the Pick-it-Easy Robot and the ergonomic Pick-it-Easy Evo work station, Würth demonstrates what good logistics is: efficient, great for staff and ready for the future. A work station becomes a genuine source of value for the customer as well as the team.

Logistics for tools and assembly materials:

Offene Kartons auf einem Förderband in einem Lagerhaus, die verschiedene Produkte enthalten, darunter rote und weiße Behälter, schwarze Säcke und orangefarbene Verpackungen.

An integrated wholesale warehouse. 

Companies in workshop and assembly supply are faced with complex requirements surrounding their wholesale warehouses. The tremendous number of different products in small quantities makes stock management complex and prone to error. Simultaneously, customers expect fast deliveries and high product availability, especially from B2B companies. Furthermore, physically strenuous tasks combined with the growing skilled labor shortage are making manual processes even more difficult.

In this environment, targeted automation can be a big help.

  • Automated systems handle thousands of different items quickly and precisely, even when quantities are small.
  • Intelligent control systems and digital stock management speed up picking and delivery.
  • Robots do the heavy lifting, while ergonomic work stations improve working conditions for people.
  • Automation solutions can also be flexibly expanded to adapt to growing requirements and new business models.
Pick it easy robot sortiert in einem Wholesale Lager Artikel in einen weißen Behälter.

Würth -wholesale warehouse
How to move tools and assembly materials intelligently.

Würth Industrie Service and KNAPP are connected by much more than technology. They are partners in innovation and have been setting new standards for years. Together, they have implemented numerous automation projects and warehouses that not only optimize processes but also focus on the human worker.

With robotic solutions like the Pick-it-Easy Robot and the ergonomic Pick-it-Easy Evo work station, Würth demonstrates what good logistics is: efficient, great for staff and ready for the future. A work station becomes a genuine source of value for the customer as well as the team.

Are you interested in more solutions for wholesale logistics?

References:

Successful customer projects for automating B2B and wholesale warehouses

A large industrial building with solar panels on the roof sits at the center of a green valley, surrounded by roads, small houses, fields, and distant mountains under a blue sky.
A large industrial building with the sign "BRØDRENE DAHL" and logo on the front. Several construction vehicles are parked outside the building on a cloudy day.
Modern office building with large glass windows and a bold red entrance frame, surrounded by manicured green hedges and trees. The sign "KRAMP" is displayed on the front of the building.

Wholesale logistics for the luxury segment: EssilorLuxottica relies on central platform with KNAPP

Automation with the future in mind: Brødrene Dahl combines efficiency, ergonomics and sustainability

Automation for agricultural logistics: Kramp focuses on efficiency with Evo Shuttle

Luxury meets logistics: From their modern distribution platform in Italy, EssilorLuxottica supplies retailers, stores and end customers worldwide. With KNAPP, EssilorLuxottica built a powerful center for growth, efficiency and brand strength.

See how Brødrene Dahl uses warehouse automation to increase productivity and reduce their carbon footprint. Reusable containers, ergonomic workstations and a flexible shuttle system make LOGSTAR a showpiece of sustainable wholesale logistics.

Europe's leading supplier of agricultural machinery spare parts relies on warehouse automation with the Evo Shuttle. The solution supports Kramp Groep's strong growth and ensures faster delivery processes, higher availability and an optimized customer experience.

Several Würth trucks are parked at loading docks outside a large warehouse with a prominent Würth logo on the building. One Würth truck is driving past in the foreground on a sunny day.
Four automated storage and retrieval system shuttles, labeled “ALLIED” and “KNAPP,” are stacked in a warehouse rack, illuminated by green lighting and metal railings.
A modern, black-paneled building with the large white letters “Vola” on its side, set against a partly cloudy sky with a green lawn and paved driveway in the foreground.

Warehouse logistics for precise supply at point-of-use: Würth Industrie Service

Digital efficiency in electronics logistics: Allied Electronics automates in Fort Worth

Automation with style: VOLA creates the perfect customer experience from the factory direct

Thanks to intelligent containers and automated processes, Würth Industrie Service delivers straight to the point of use. With KNAPP, Würth built a logistics system in Bad Mergentheim, Germany that elevates efficiency, availability and customer service to a whole new level.

For the expansion of their distribution center in Fort Worth, Allied Electronics stepped up with automation and digitalization. The intelligent solution improves delivery performance and makes the company ready for the next generation in electronics.

VOLA relies on flexible automation at their production facility in Horsens, Denmark. The result? Made-to-order processes, the highest quality and a great customer experience with every order.

References:

Successful customer projects for automating B2B and wholesale warehouses

A large industrial building with solar panels on the roof sits at the center of a green valley, surrounded by roads, small houses, fields, and distant mountains under a blue sky.

Wholesale logistics for the luxury segment: EssilorLuxottica relies on central platform with KNAPP

Luxury meets logistics: From their modern distribution platform in Italy, EssilorLuxottica supplies retailers, stores and end customers worldwide. With KNAPP, EssilorLuxottica built a powerful center for growth, efficiency and brand strength.

A large industrial building with the sign "BRØDRENE DAHL" and logo on the front. Several construction vehicles are parked outside the building on a cloudy day.

Automation with the future in mind: Brødrene Dahl combines efficiency, ergonomics and sustainability

See how Brødrene Dahl uses warehouse automation to increase productivity and reduce their carbon footprint. Reusable containers, ergonomic workstations and a flexible shuttle system make LOGSTAR a showpiece of sustainable wholesale logistics.

Modern office building with large glass windows and a bold red entrance frame, surrounded by manicured green hedges and trees. The sign "KRAMP" is displayed on the front of the building.

Automation for agricultural logistics: Kramp focuses on efficiency with Evo Shuttle

Europe's leading supplier of agricultural machinery spare parts relies on warehouse automation with the Evo Shuttle. The solution supports Kramp Groep's strong growth and ensures faster delivery processes, higher availability and an optimized customer experience.

Several Würth trucks are parked at loading docks outside a large warehouse with a prominent Würth logo on the building. One Würth truck is driving past in the foreground on a sunny day.

Warehouse logistics for precise supply at point-of-use: Würth Industrie Service

Thanks to intelligent containers and automated processes, Würth Industrie Service delivers straight to the point of use. With KNAPP, Würth built a logistics system in Bad Mergentheim, Germany that elevates efficiency, availability and customer service to a whole new level.

Four automated storage and retrieval system shuttles, labeled “ALLIED” and “KNAPP,” are stacked in a warehouse rack, illuminated by green lighting and metal railings.

Digital efficiency in electronics logistics: Allied Electronics automates in Fort Worth

For the expansion of their distribution center in Fort Worth, Allied Electronics stepped up with automation and digitalization. The intelligent solution improves delivery performance and makes the company ready for the next generation in electronics.

A modern, black-paneled building with the large white letters “Vola” on its side, set against a partly cloudy sky with a green lawn and paved driveway in the foreground.

Automation with style: VOLA creates the perfect customer experience from the factory direct

VOLA relies on flexible automation at their production facility in Horsens, Denmark. The result? Made-to-order processes, the highest quality and a great customer experience with every order.

The advantages of automating a wholesale warehouse

The demands on wholesale logistics are increasing: tremendous product variety, fast delivery times, sector-specific specialties and rising cost pressure. That’s why automation drives more than just efficiency – it becomes a strategic factor for companies of all sizes.

Scalable processes for complex product ranges

Whether it’s plumbing supplies, electronic parts, jewelry or spare parts – automated storage solutions for the wholesale warehouse, such as shuttle systems and robotics, precisely handle items with different sizes, weights and packaging shapes. Our systems for B2B warehouses expand modularly and adapt to dynamic increases in product assortment and seasonal fluctuations.

Higher picking performance in the same amount of space

By using an automated small parts warehouse (Evo Shuttle), automated work stations (Pick-it-Easy) or robot solutions such as the Pick-it-Easy Robot, the throughput in a wholesale warehouse can be significantly increased without adding additional warehouse space. This is particularly relevant for urban logistics centers with limited available space.

Error reduction, quality assurance

For valuable or sensitive products such as jewelry or electronics, errors in warehouse processes can get expensive. Image recognition technologies and integrated check mechanisms at the ergonomic work stations ensure high picking quality and support a zero-error strategy in modern wholesale warehouses.

Intelligent control systems and transparency across all warehouse areas

Modern warehouse management software such as KiSoft links all processes from goods-in to storage to shipping. KiSoft performs real-time tracking, stock optimization and transport control even for complex multi-channel models. Companies benefit from better predictability, less capital lockup and greater supply security.

Flexibility for sector-specific requirements

Every customer group has their own characteristics: Electrical products require that lots be traceable, the book trade needs to be able to handle seasonal peaks, and spare parts logistics has to provide high availability for slow-moving items. Automation solutions for wholesale logistics can be tailored to these requirements, including interfaces to ERP and e-commerce systems.

Sustainability and resource efficiency

Automated B2B warehouses work energy efficiently, reduce manual processes and use space optimally. This supports both environmental and economic goals by lowering operating costs and improving carbon footprints.

Global service network and a reliable partner

Our International Customer Service looks after your logistics system – around the globe, around the clock, 365 days a year. Discover more about our services, from seamless support to optimizing your system!

FAQ - about wholesale logistics:

Wholesalers must be able to efficiently manage a complex range of goods with different stock turn rates, packaging shapes and target groups. Automation helps to standardize processes and respond flexibly to market changes.

Integrated check mechanisms and image processing technologies ensure quality during warehouse processes. This reduces returns and provides reliable delivery, which is especially important for sensitive products such as electronics or spare parts.

By using ergonomic work stations and Pick-to-Light technologies, even complex product ranges can be picked efficiently and without errors, regardless of the sector or packaging type.

Sustainable automation involves more than just reusable containers, energy-efficient systems and optimized transport routes. It also means reducing physical strain using ergonomic work stations to promote the long-term health of employees.

Modular automation solutions make it possible to expand step by step without interrupting operations. This keeps the warehouse flexible and fit for the future, as well as for strong growth or seasonal peaks.

Automated warehouse processes supply workshops, stores and end customers as needed. Thanks to automation, deliveries are precise, throughput is fast and shipment tracking is transparent.

Automated systems such as shuttle storage systems, picking robots and AMRs increase throughput, reduce errors and allow scalability in warehouse structure, which is ideal for growing assortments and high service requirements.

Automated storage systems such as shuttle solutions or AMRs can be integrated in modules and during ongoing operation. Standard interfaces to ERP and WMS systems provide a seamless connection to existing IT structures without long downtimes.

The selection and control of load carriers (e.g. containers, cartons, trays) crucially impacts efficiency. Intelligent systems recognize product characteristics and automatically select the appropriate load carrier, making optimal use of storage space and efficient use of the conveyor system.

Real-time stock management in the WMS, automated control of replenishment and AI-supported demand forecasting ensure availability, even with tremendous product variety and seasonal peaks. This minimizes shortages and improves delivery quality.

Are you interested in our logistics solutions for the wholesale sector?

What moves logistics: trends and developments