Food & Grocery Resource Center

Explore food and grocery automation solutions, insights, case studies and more.

Advances in robotics, automation and AI are enabling the food retail and grocery sector to meet rising customer demands through smart fulfillment and delivery processes. These advancements help warehouses manage high SKU counts and temperature‑sensitive goods across every fulfillment model—from store replenishment to last mile delivery.

Browse Food & Grocery Topics

OmniChannel Solutions for Food & Grocery Logistics

Store Replenishment

E-commerce

RUNPICK

Pack Master

Pick-it-Easy Robot

Empties Management

Tailored Solutions for Brick-and-Mortars

Automated store delivery Solutions for brick and mortar retail The secret behind full shelves.

To meet the daily demands of shoppers, food retailers rely on sophisticated systems that ensure a constant, fresh supply of products. We deliver tailored solutions for brick-and-mortar stores─from the distribution center to the sales floor─adapting to the unique requirements of each individual store.

Flexible Case Picking
Our Flexible Case Picking provides the agility needed to manage fluctuating demand while delivering reliable, high‑performance results. Its core components include all-temperature Evo shuttles, RUNPICK and Pick-it-easy Cases.

Fully Automatic FAST Picking
Our FAST Picking solution provides fast and error-free order fulfillment in different standard handling units. FAST picking incorporates palletizing, depalletizing and destacker machines to increase the level of automation.

RUNPICK
Short for Robotic Universal Picker, RUNPICK picks and palletizes large handling units and fills orders for brick and mortar retail. It builds mixed pallets and roll containers and is well-suited for supplying stores with different structures. The system is scalable to meet growth and expansion needs.

Pack Master
Pack Master software is at the heart of the solution. Not only does it calculate the optimal packing arrangement to increase pallet stability and improve packing density, but it also orchestrates highly precise sequencing and optimal packing configurations that simplify and accelerate the shelf-stocking processes during store replenishment.

Employee Satisfaction
All of KNAPP’s solutions are designed to reduce strain on employees. Robots manage the heavy lifting, while modern, ergonomic Workstations increase comfort, and intelligent shelf-stocking processes reduce steps for in-store workers.

Achieve efficient and precise store delivery with semi‑ to fully automatic systems
Manage frozen, fresh, perishable and shelf‑stable groceries with one integrated solution
Speed up the stocking process with accurate sequencing and store‑friendly pallets delivered with RUNPICK and Pack Master software
Accommodate peak holiday and seasonal demand with modular designs that adapt to changing order volumes and market demand

A Connected Value Chain for E‑Grocery: MFCs, CFCs and Last‑Mile Delivery

Food retailers need e‑commerce fulfillment that adapts to different service areas, order profiles and delivery promises. KNAPP’s E‑Grocer approach is built on two proven formats: Micro Fulfillment Centers (MFCs), which support fast service close to demand in urban and suburban locations, and Central Fulfillment Centers (CFCs) for high‑volume regional supply. Both formats can operate from semi‑ to fully automatic and support item‑level picking, case‑level handling and mixed‑temperature operations within one cohesive system.

To support customers across the entire value chain, the KiSoft Delivery Solution completes the process with dynamic planning, real‑time adjustments and fully digital driver workflows—reducing empty miles and delivery costs.

Scale fulfillment capacity with MFCs and CFCs that flex from semi‑ to fully automatic depending on demand and service levels
Ensure gentle product handling for frozen, fresh, perishable and shelf‑stable items across item‑level and case‑level processes
Improve accuracy and speed with ergonomic Workstations and optimized picking sequences
Balance demand across channels by shifting capacity between e‑commerce, store replenishment and pickup
Optimize the last mile with AI‑driven delivery planning through KiSoft Delivery Management for dynamic routing, lower delivery costs and full transparency
Gain end‑to‑end visibility with KiSoft Analytics, combining planning data and route performance to drive continuous improvement of last‑mile operations

Mixed Case Palletizing for Store-Friendly Deliveries

In the fast-paced food retail sector, RUNPICK (Robotic Universal Picker) provides a high-speed solution for the complex challenge of mixed-case palletizing. By handling multiple items simultaneously, the robot achieves the high throughput necessary to meet modern fulfillment demands.

This efficiency ensures that retailers can respond flexibly to surges in demand, keeping shelves stocked and providing a seamless experience for the end customer.

The intelligence behind the operation lies in Pack Master software, which acts as the system’s strategic brain. Before items leave the Evo Shuttle, the software calculates the ideal packing sequence to ensure maximum load stability and space efficiency. This advanced planning allows RUNPICK to build pallets and roll containers that are tailored to the specific layout of individual stores, directly improving operational flow from the warehouse to the retail shelf.

Beyond efficiency, RUNPICK serves as a vital partner for the workforce by taking on the most physically demanding tasks. By providing the “muscle” to move heavy quantities, it protects distribution center employees from strenuous labor. This “store-friendly” approach also benefits retail staff, as pre-sequenced loads reduce walking time and simplify the shelf-stocking process.

Multi-Item Picking: Processes multiple products in a single movement for rapid order fulfillment
Strategic Sequencing: Integrated software calculates the perfect placement for every item to ensure stable, dense loads
Store-Friendly Delivery: Customizes pallet builds to match individual store layouts, reducing labor for retail employees
Ergonomic Support: Automates heavy lifting, significantly reducing the physical strain on warehouse personnel

Create the Ideal Arrangement for Every Order with Pack Master

Different stores have different layouts. With Pack Master, warehouse logistics centers can tailor deliveries for every order and every store. The software determines the retrieval sequence and ensures packing density and stability.

Maximizes space utilization and reduces packaging material waste
Improves packing speed and accuracy through automation and guidance
Ensures shipment stability and compliance with carrier or customer requirements
Reduces shipping costs by minimizing dimensional weight and overpacking
Enhances sustainability through smarter packaging decisions
Support for multi-order, multi-item and multi-destination packing scenarios
Configurable rules engine for packaging logic, priorities and exceptions

Built for Delicate Groceries: Gentle, Reliable Picking with the Pick‑it‑Easy Robot

Delicate produce, fragile packaging and mixed assortments make gentle handling essential. The Pick‑it‑Easy Robot features special gripping technology. It places items with care while maintaining consistent performance around the clock. Vision‑based item recognition identifies each product and determines safe grip points, helping protect everything from tomatoes to eggs during automated picking.

Machine learning enhances this process over time. As the robot encounters more items, it refines grip decisions and improves how it handles different shapes, surfaces and packaging. New articles can be added quickly, and the system automatically selects the appropriate gripper for each task. The robot integrates smoothly into existing Workstations and shuttle systems, providing dependable throughput with low maintenance requirements.

Sustainable Logistics for Reusables

As the beverage industry continues on its quest for reusable packaging, efficient empties management has become essential for sustainable logistics. Our reusables management solutions close the loop in food retail by streamlining the entire process—from sorting and stock management to cleaning and deposit handling.

Our systems prioritize transparency, traceability and resource efficiency across all post-sale operations. Whether manual, semi-automatic or fully automated, our technologies ensure that returned bottles, crates and reusable handling units are sorted quickly and accurately and ready for reuse in unmixed stacks.

Customer-specific concepts for bottle and crate sorting
Manual, semi-automatic and fully automated configurations
Transparent and traceable post-sale processes
Quick and accurate deposit crediting for stores
Efficient cleaning and preparation of reusable handling units
Bottle sorting robots for fully automatic processing

Hear From Our Customers

SPAR─based in Austria─boasts 3,300+ food retail locations. Read how their distribution center is one of the most innovative and environmentally friendly logistics centers of its kind.

Shufersal was experiencing significant growth in its e-commerce grocery sales. Read how this highly automated solution covers all temperature ranges with maximum efficiency and scalability.

“Our e-commerce solution from KNAPP allows us to be less reliant on the workforce and our throughput is much higher than before. We complete orders much faster, much more accurately, and we can deal with a bigger assortment of items than in a regular store.”

Sharon Galatziano

Head of CFC Operation

Shufersal Online

Awarded as Best Product 2025!

KNAPP’s newest intelligent storage robot, AeroBot, was named the year’s “Best Product of 2025”  at LogiMAT. With its innovative functions and outstanding quality, KNAPP has once again set  the gold standard in warehouse logistics.

Rise to New Dimensions

“We can fulfill orders five times faster and are in the right position for further growth. We feel good about where we’re at.”

Jewel Hunt
Group VP eCommerce
Albertsons

Insights

Food products prepared for robotic palletizing, illustrating how automation makes warehouse tasks faster, easier, and safer by reducing manual lifting and improving employee well‑being.

Liberate Employees

From heavy lifting to more fulfilling experiences. RA 2022 MHI and Deloitte survey revealed that retaining and reskilling the workforce is a leading strategy for…

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