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Hema, a leading new retail brand under Alibaba Group, focuses on providing "30-minute fresh delivery" services to consumers. Its front仓 (front-end warehouse) serves as a key node connecting the central warehouse and end consumers, undertaking core functions such as rapid order picking, temporary storage of fresh produce, and order aggregation. For a regional Hema front仓 covering a service radius of 3 kilometers, the existing storage system could no longer meet its operational demands, prompting the need for a customized shelving upgrade.
Hema's front仓 has unique operational characteristics that pose distinct challenges to shelving systems, which are very different from traditional supermarkets or large logistics warehouses. Firstly, space constraints are prominent: the front仓 covers an area of only about 200 square meters, but it needs to store more than 1,500 types of goods, including fresh produce (such as fruits, vegetables, and meat), daily necessities, and prepared meals. The previous fixed shelving led to serious space waste, with some categories being stacked randomly and difficult to access. Secondly, order fulfillment efficiency is critical: the front仓 needs to complete order picking, packaging, and handover to couriers within 10 minutes to ensure the 30-minute delivery commitment. The old shelving lacked logical category zoning and clear picking markers, resulting in long picking paths and frequent missed picks. Thirdly, fresh-keeping requirements are strict: fresh produce and prepared meals need to be stored in ventilated, moisture-proof environments, and the shelving must be easy to clean and disinfect to avoid cross-contamination. The previous iron shelving was prone to rust and had narrow gaps between layers, which affected air circulation. Additionally, the front仓 has frequent goods turnover, and the shelving needs to withstand repeated loading and unloading of trolleys and frequent manual handling without deformation.
Based on in-depth on-site surveys and analysis of Hema front仓's operational pain points, Shibang Shelving designed a highly targeted customized warehousing system, focusing on "space maximization, efficiency optimization, and fresh-keeping adaptation":
• Space-Saving Modular Design: Adopted a combination of double-sided shelving and narrow-aisle layout, reducing aisle width from 1.2 meters to 0.8 meters while ensuring trolley passage. The shelf height was set to 2.2 meters (adapting to the front仓's ceiling height), with 5 adjustable layers. The layer spacing could be flexibly adjusted between 30cm and 50cm according to the height of goods (e.g., 30cm for snack boxes, 50cm for fresh vegetable baskets), increasing the overall storage capacity by 40% compared to the previous system.
• Efficiency-Oriented Zoning & Marking: Divided the shelving area into "hot-selling zone" (1.2-1.8 meters height, for high-frequency purchase goods like milk and snacks), "fresh zone" (bottom layer, with ventilation holes), and "slow-moving zone" (top layer, for daily necessities with low turnover). Each shelf was equipped with a detachable electronic label holder and color-coded category signs (e.g., green for fresh produce, yellow for snacks), matching Hema's inventory management system to shorten picking paths by 30%.
• Fresh-Keeping & Durable Material Selection: Used high-quality galvanized steel with a thickness of 1.5mm for the shelf frame and 2.0mm for the laminates, which is rust-proof, corrosion-resistant, and easy to wipe and disinfect. The laminates were designed with 5mm drainage holes to prevent water accumulation from fresh produce. The shelf base was equipped with height-adjustable foot pads to avoid direct contact with the ground and prevent moisture absorption.
• Turnkey Rapid Implementation: Provided one-stop service including CAD design validation, factory prefabrication, and off-peak installation. The installation team completed the disassembly of old shelves and installation of new shelves within 8 hours overnight (22:00-6:00 the next day), ensuring zero impact on the front仓's daytime operations.
The customized shelving system was officially put into use one week after installation, and the operational effects were quickly reflected:
• Operational Efficiency Leap: The average order picking time was reduced from 8 minutes to 4.5 minutes, and the order fulfillment accuracy rate reached 99.8%, fully supporting the "10-minute order preparation" goal and ensuring the 30-minute delivery commitment.
• Space Utilization Optimization: The storage capacity of 1,500 types of goods was achieved in the 200-square-meter front仓, and the goods were neatly arranged without random stacking, reducing the loss rate of fresh produce by 15% due to orderly storage.
• Easy Maintenance & Durability: The galvanized steel shelving remained rust-free after 6 months of use, and the detachable structure made daily cleaning and disinfection more convenient. The shelf load-bearing capacity reached 300kg per layer, withstanding repeated trolley impacts without deformation.
The operation manager of Hema front仓 commented: "Shibang's customized shelving perfectly fits the fast-paced and high-demand operation of our front仓. It not only solves the problem of limited space but also directly improves the order fulfillment efficiency, which is a key guarantee for our '30-minute fresh delivery' service. The durability and fresh-keeping design also save us a lot of maintenance and loss costs. We plan to promote this solution to other front仓 stores in the region."
Hema, a leading new retail brand under Alibaba Group, focuses on providing "30-minute fresh delivery" services to consumers. Its front仓 (front-end warehouse) serves as a key node connecting the central warehouse and end consumers, undertaking core functions such as rapid order picking, temporary storage of fresh produce, and order aggregation. For a regional Hema front仓 covering a service radius of 3 kilometers, the existing storage system could no longer meet its operational demands, prompting the need for a customized shelving upgrade.
Hema's front仓 has unique operational characteristics that pose distinct challenges to shelving systems, which are very different from traditional supermarkets or large logistics warehouses. Firstly, space constraints are prominent: the front仓 covers an area of only about 200 square meters, but it needs to store more than 1,500 types of goods, including fresh produce (such as fruits, vegetables, and meat), daily necessities, and prepared meals. The previous fixed shelving led to serious space waste, with some categories being stacked randomly and difficult to access. Secondly, order fulfillment efficiency is critical: the front仓 needs to complete order picking, packaging, and handover to couriers within 10 minutes to ensure the 30-minute delivery commitment. The old shelving lacked logical category zoning and clear picking markers, resulting in long picking paths and frequent missed picks. Thirdly, fresh-keeping requirements are strict: fresh produce and prepared meals need to be stored in ventilated, moisture-proof environments, and the shelving must be easy to clean and disinfect to avoid cross-contamination. The previous iron shelving was prone to rust and had narrow gaps between layers, which affected air circulation. Additionally, the front仓 has frequent goods turnover, and the shelving needs to withstand repeated loading and unloading of trolleys and frequent manual handling without deformation.
Based on in-depth on-site surveys and analysis of Hema front仓's operational pain points, Shibang Shelving designed a highly targeted customized warehousing system, focusing on "space maximization, efficiency optimization, and fresh-keeping adaptation":
• Space-Saving Modular Design: Adopted a combination of double-sided shelving and narrow-aisle layout, reducing aisle width from 1.2 meters to 0.8 meters while ensuring trolley passage. The shelf height was set to 2.2 meters (adapting to the front仓's ceiling height), with 5 adjustable layers. The layer spacing could be flexibly adjusted between 30cm and 50cm according to the height of goods (e.g., 30cm for snack boxes, 50cm for fresh vegetable baskets), increasing the overall storage capacity by 40% compared to the previous system.
• Efficiency-Oriented Zoning & Marking: Divided the shelving area into "hot-selling zone" (1.2-1.8 meters height, for high-frequency purchase goods like milk and snacks), "fresh zone" (bottom layer, with ventilation holes), and "slow-moving zone" (top layer, for daily necessities with low turnover). Each shelf was equipped with a detachable electronic label holder and color-coded category signs (e.g., green for fresh produce, yellow for snacks), matching Hema's inventory management system to shorten picking paths by 30%.
• Fresh-Keeping & Durable Material Selection: Used high-quality galvanized steel with a thickness of 1.5mm for the shelf frame and 2.0mm for the laminates, which is rust-proof, corrosion-resistant, and easy to wipe and disinfect. The laminates were designed with 5mm drainage holes to prevent water accumulation from fresh produce. The shelf base was equipped with height-adjustable foot pads to avoid direct contact with the ground and prevent moisture absorption.
• Turnkey Rapid Implementation: Provided one-stop service including CAD design validation, factory prefabrication, and off-peak installation. The installation team completed the disassembly of old shelves and installation of new shelves within 8 hours overnight (22:00-6:00 the next day), ensuring zero impact on the front仓's daytime operations.
The customized shelving system was officially put into use one week after installation, and the operational effects were quickly reflected:
• Operational Efficiency Leap: The average order picking time was reduced from 8 minutes to 4.5 minutes, and the order fulfillment accuracy rate reached 99.8%, fully supporting the "10-minute order preparation" goal and ensuring the 30-minute delivery commitment.
• Space Utilization Optimization: The storage capacity of 1,500 types of goods was achieved in the 200-square-meter front仓, and the goods were neatly arranged without random stacking, reducing the loss rate of fresh produce by 15% due to orderly storage.
• Easy Maintenance & Durability: The galvanized steel shelving remained rust-free after 6 months of use, and the detachable structure made daily cleaning and disinfection more convenient. The shelf load-bearing capacity reached 300kg per layer, withstanding repeated trolley impacts without deformation.
The operation manager of Hema front仓 commented: "Shibang's customized shelving perfectly fits the fast-paced and high-demand operation of our front仓. It not only solves the problem of limited space but also directly improves the order fulfillment efficiency, which is a key guarantee for our '30-minute fresh delivery' service. The durability and fresh-keeping design also save us a lot of maintenance and loss costs. We plan to promote this solution to other front仓 stores in the region."
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