If George Jetson were to land his space ship in Stop & Shop's newest distribution center, the Space Age dad from the 1960s cartoon series would feel right at home.

That's because the 1.3 million-square-foot DC is one of the most automated in the country and boasts more automated storage-and-retrieval system (AS/RS) equipment than any other facility of its kind.

And unlike most automation projects, Stop & Shop's futuristic warehouse did not lead to massive layoffs when machines took over previously manual tasks. Instead, automation allowed the company to better manage growth; as a result, Stop & Shop actually needed to increase its warehouse labor force.

Stop & Shop Supermarket Companies, based in Quincy, Mass., is one of the largest food retailers in the Northeast. At present, it operates 365 stores in six states.

Until recently, Stop & Shop served its stores from two facilities, one in North Haven, Conn., and the other in Readville, Mass., just outside of Boston. The North Haven warehouse stored refrigerated items such as meat and dairy products, while Readville strictly handled produce.

As the company added stores, it became clear that it was outgrowing its existing distribution facilities. "Stop and Shop needed a new DC to support growth, as the DC in Readville was out of capacity," recalls Ed DeVito, warehouse manager at the new distribution center.

Stop & Shop executives made a strategic decision to build a new grocery distribution complex for both dry and perishable products. The supermarket chain chose a 595-acre parcel in Freetown, Mass., about 40 miles south of Boston, for its multimillion-dollarcampus.

The new DC actually consists of two separate warehouses connected by an office center. One warehouse, measuring 612,000 square feet with an interiorheight of 42 feet, stores dry goods. It has 44 aisles of rack storage and can hold more than 3 million cases of product.

The perishables warehouse, which measures 488,000 square feet, has an interiorheight of 38 feet and 39 aisles of rack storage. That facility is divided into various sections that hold products at different temperatures. The thermostat in the meat section, for example, is set at a chilly 32 degrees, while vegetables and fruit are stored at 35 degrees. There also are a separate section for fresh fish and special locker rooms for ripening bananas.

In addition to the warehouse operations, the Freetown complex includes an 89,000 square-foot office that houses the distribution and purchasing departments. Because Stop & Shop operates a private fleet with 350 refrigerated trailers and 650 dry vans to move goods from the distribution center to its stores, the site also boasts a diesel fueling station and separate buildings for washing trailers, handling vehicle maintenance, and storing dunnage.

The Readville warehouse was a manual operation, with workers relying on pieces of paper to guide their selection of items, says DeVito. When the company began discussing the need for a new warehouse, former Vice President of Distribution Charles Arbing strongly advocated for automation.

In the end, Stop & Shop went for automation in such a big way that one employee has compared the workings of the old Readville warehouse to "The Flintstones" cartoon while likening the Freetown operation to the Space Age animation of "The Jetsons."  Continued...

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