SpartanNash will open its first micro-fulfillment center in Caledonia, Michigan on July 26. The 55,000-square-foot facility will hold 16,000 products and pick and pack Fast Lane online shopping orders for 24 Ada Fresh Market, D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare, and Forest Hills Foods stores throughout West Michigan, primarily in the Grand Rapids and Holland area.
Fast Lane is the company's proprietary online grocery shopping solution. Fast Lane orders are fulfilled by SpartanNash personal shoppers who can communicate directly with guests via text messaging to determine preferences such as ripeness of fruit or thickness of steak.
"Fast Lane has been a tremendous value-add for our store guests as the pandemic heightened the importance of safe, efficient grocery shopping, pickup and delivery," SpartanNash President and CEO Tony Sarsam, said in a statement. "The micro-fulfillment center is an exciting investment designed to further elevate the Fast Lane shopping experience as we strive to continuously improve our fulfillment speed and product availability."
The micro-fulfillment center will support more than 1,000 Fast Lane orders daily once fully operational - more than doubling current Fast Lane order capabilities. The facility will increase Fast Lane efficiency, free up space and stock in stores and give Fast Lane customers even more product assortment. Once a Fast Lane order is picked and packed at the micro-fulfillment center, it is delivered either directly to a store for curbside pickup or to the shopper's home.
"We look forward to delivering an even higher level of quality and convenience to our store guests than they already enjoy with Fast Lane," said Tom Swanson, SpartanNash executive vice president and general manager, corporate retail, in a statement. "The technology and design of the MFC will allow us to be three to four times more efficient than fulfilling orders in-store. The new process increases our already great service effectiveness and gives our Fast Lane customers even more variety and assortment - all benefits we're excited to introduce as a result of the MFC."
Related: SpartanNash Sales Decline; SpartanNash Offers Holiday Promotions on Pickup, Delivery.
Image: SpartanNash