Takeoff, Hussmann Form Alliance to Accelerate Grocery E-Commerce

Tech companies Takeoff Technologies and Hussmann Corp., a Panasonic company, have launched a strategic alliance aimed at accelerating innovation in grocery e-commerce as food retailers adapt to changing shopper needs.

Under the alliance, Waltham, Mass.-based Takeoff will become Hussmann’s strategic ally for automated grocery fulfillment solutions in North America, while Bridgeton, Mo.-based Hussmann will provide Takeoff refrigeration solutions and expertise to develop food retailer-focused solutions.

“Hussmann is an established leader in refrigeration. They are true experts in their field,” said Jose Aguerrevere, co-founder and CEO of Takeoff. “Any e-grocery solution relies on safe product temperature control to ensure food integrity of refrigerated and frozen items. This alliance represents an incredible opportunity to strengthen our solution.”

Takeoff is a leader in the microfulfillment space. Its microfulfillment centers (MFCs) are automated warehouses that uses robots and software to fulfill online orders. They are small enough to fit inside the back of existing grocery stores or operate as stand-alone facilities. Albertsons and ShopRite are two retailers who have deployed the companies microfulfillment centers.

“Takeoff’s micro-fulfillment solutions are emerging as a key component in the quickly evolving e-grocery space. We look at this alliance as a way for retailers to leverage the market leading technologies of two great companies; ultimately driving improved e-commerce business models for retailers and shoppers,” said Tim Figge, CEO of Hussmann.

Hussmann and Takeoff previously collaborated on projects such as Smart Exchange, a refrigerated locker technology that Takeoff uses to store orders for pickup.