Cutter & Buck Automates Fulfillment Center in Washington With AutoStore

Over the course of three decades, Cutter & Buck, a subsidiary of New Wave Group, AB, has become a byword for high quality and comfort in activewear. From relatively modest beginnings on the Seattle waterfront, the clothing brand has grown to incorporate more products with the latest features, which are available in golf courses, resorts, fan shops, and stores across the globe.

Their products include clothing perfect for those interested in boating, golfing, hiking, or showing their support for their favorite MLB, NFL, or NCAA sports franchises. Designed for versatility, comfort, and aesthetic appeal, their iconic clothing has become a popular choice at sporting events and private occasions, as well as for work, pleasure, and everyday wear.

‍The challenge

‍Cutter & Buck’s sales strategy — combining direct-to-consumer sales through their website with licensed vendors at sports venues and other businesses — has helped them grow to become one of the top sportswear companies on the marketplace. However, that steady growth, along with an expanding inventory to meet demand, left the company’s existing logistics infrastructure at risk of falling behind.

With sales on the rise and increasingly limited space at their Renton, Washington fulfillment center, Cutter & Buck determined that they needed a space-efficient automated warehouse system to handle the demands of their business.

Benefits of the AutoStore system

As a fully automated, highly customizable storage and retrieval system, AutoStore was the clear choice. Based on a Grid system, with storage Bins stacked vertically under a Grid rail network to allow Robots to access inventory, the AutoStore system can increase storage capacity by a factor of 4 and performance by up to 10 times more than that offered by traditional logistics models. In addition, with only 17 standardized parts, the AutoStore Grid can be configured to fit any warehouse space while remaining expandable to accommodate further growth or demand in peak periods.

Furthermore, with enough Robots, alternating charging times open up the possibility of switching to 24/7 operation, thus enabling Cutter & Buck to meet substantial increases in orders during peak periods. This can be particularly valuable during holiday periods when demand spikes, helping the company to keep customers satisfied and their growth unchecked.

How the system works

The upgraded Renton, WA facility will now rely on a Grid capable of storing and processing tens of thousands of Bins, with multiple intelligent, battery-powered Robots retrieving items from the stacks. From the Grid, Bins are passed onto a conveyor system for delivery to any of several workstations for order fulfillment, picking, replenishment, inventory control, and other purposes.

To oversee the new system, Cutter & Buck chose the Kardex Control Center software, an automated warehouse management system from AutoStore partners Kardex. Saving space, reducing processing and handling times, and reallocating warehouse personnel to new positions within the automated network will support Cutter & Buck in continuing to provide their quality goods to an ever-growing customer base.

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