H Mart plans micro-fulfillment center to fuel online grocery

Asian-American supermarket chain H Mart has tapped robotics specialist AutoStore to power a micro-fulfillment center (MFC) to process online grocery orders.

Norway-based AutoStore said Tuesday that it’s working with integrator Bastian Solutions to develop a fully automated MFC to support H Mart’s online grocery operations in Carlstadt, N.J. Like other retailers during the pandemic, H Mart has seen a surge in online grocery ordering and aims to increase capacity.

“Hmart.com has proven to be an important offering to our customers. Hmart.com enables our customers to experience the food that lets them feel at home, just as when they shop in-store,” H Mart Executive Vice President Vince Colatriano said in a statement. “We’ve partnered with the best automated technology in the field to fulfill our orders quickly and efficiently. We’re excited to work with Bastian Solutions and AutoStore to deliver the highest-quality Asian products to our customers.”

AutoStore is working with integrator Bastian Solutions to build a fully automated MFC (see rendering above) to support H Mart’s online grocery operations in Carlstadt, N.J.

Including AutoStore’s robotics and WMS technologies, the MFC solution is designed to boost fulfillment efficiency for a range of packaged groceries plus fresh and frozen products. AutoStore noted that MFC is scalable and can be installed at the back of a store, allowing the retailer to cut the average distance between the facility and customers and provide both on-demand delivery and in-store pickup services. Pickup kiosks also can be offered at the MFC.

Related:H Mart teams up with Shipt for online grocery delivery

“H Mart’s investment in e-grocery automation will not only help the bottom line of their online business but will also benefit their customer base as a whole,” according to Mike Demko, the head of AutoStore’s MFC business line. “We’re excited to work with Bastian Solutions in providing H Mart a solution that gives them greater operational efficiency and order accuracy, so customers receive exactly what they ordered. 

Lyndhurst, N.J.-based H Mart operates 97 stores in 14 states and offers both traditional Asian and American groceries, including fresh produce, meat, poultry, seafood and ready-to-cook items.

The chain offers online grocery delivery through its H Mart Online and H Fresh services, with the latter providing door-to-door delivery of fresh meat, produce, seafood, eggs, milk and other perishables to selected ZIP codes in New York City and northern New Jersey. H Mart began providing third-party same-day delivery via Shipt last fall, and it has offered Instacart delivery since 2016, later expanding the service chainwide in June 2019.  

“As a global partner, we’ve worked on numerous installations that are successfully operating with the award-winning AutoStore system,” stated Aaron Jones, president of Indianapolis-based Bastian Solutions. “We look forward to integrating AutoStore’s robotics and e-grocery WMS with H Mart’s operations for faster order fulfillment and increased customer satisfaction.”

Related:With MFCs, retailers look to fill a growing need