REWE has automated its fresh produce operations at its Oranienburg logistics centre, deploying an intralogistics system supplied by Cimcorp to support the distribution of fruit and vegetables to more than 370 supermarkets and 580 shops across the greater Berlin region.

While the retailer’s announcement covers the full fruit and vegetable category, the implications for high-throughput, short-shelf-life lines such as fresh potatoes are particularly notable, given their volume, weight and strict rotation requirements within German retail.

Reliability Under Time Pressure

“In fresh food logistics, every minute counts and every delivery is critical,” said Matthias Menzel, General Manager at REWE’s Oranienburg Logistics Centre. “Missing the delivery window means a significant financial loss. That’s why we invested in automation that delivers absolute reliability, real-time control and the capacity to serve Berlin and the surrounding regions.”

The facility handles around 29,000 units per day using Cimcorp’s automated order-picking system. Material flows are governed by the company’s Warehouse Control System (WCS), which manages inbound barcode scanning, depalletizing, inventory handling, picking and outbound labelling and shipping.

For bulky and high-volume SKUs such as fresh potatoes – typically delivered in crates or larger containers and requiring careful stock rotation – the combination of automated handling and full traceability is likely to reduce picking errors and shrinkage while improving shelf-life management at store level.

FIFO And FEFO For Perishable Lines

According to REWE, the automated picking area operates using both FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expired, First Out) principles. Each crate, stack and pallet is uniquely identified, scanned and monitored from arrival to departure.

This dual approach is especially relevant for fresh potato lines, where batch traceability and consistent rotation are central to minimising waste, managing quality variations and responding to fluctuations in demand linked to promotions or seasonal supply shifts.

“Our customers expect that our reliability increases every year,” Menzel said. “As stores learn that they can trust our deliveries, it brings improvement not just to our logistics, but right through to the customer experience in the store. We’re no longer fighting to fill overtime hours; instead, our staff are excited to work with new technology and see the benefits of automation in their daily roles.”

The system also incorporates redundancy through dual robot cells and transfer cars to ensure continuity of operations in the event of outages, a critical feature for fresh supply chains where delays can rapidly translate into product losses.

Labour And Ergonomics In Fresh Handling

Labour shortages in warehouse environments have intensified across Europe, particularly in physically demanding fresh produce operations involving heavy lifting.

“Finding employees for the physically demanding jobs in warehouses, especially when it comes to the heavy lifting needed for fruit and vegetables, is getting harder every year,” Menzel said.

“Cimcorp automation removes the daily strain from our teams,” he continued. “With this solution, our people can focus on work that is safer, more rewarding and less exhausting. Automation both addresses real ergonomic and labour challenges for warehouse staff and creates a modern, attractive workplace with more sustainable jobs and less physical strain.”

For fresh potato supply chains, where sack handling, crate stacking and mixed-load pallet building remain labour-intensive, the shift towards robotic gantry systems and automated order assembly may signal a broader move among retailers to de-risk labour availability while maintaining throughput.

Partnership And Scalability

“True operational excellence depends on partnership, fast adaptation and continuous improvement,” said Riku Puska, Sales Manager at Cimcorp Group. “Together with REWE, our teams have created a solution that fits seamlessly into their existing operations, backed by round-the-clock service and training. That’s how we deliver not just performance today, but peace of mind for the future.”

REWE describes the Oranienburg site as a flagship in its logistics transformation, supporting fresh food availability year-round in the Berlin region. For potato suppliers serving the German retail market, the development underscores a growing expectation for digitally integrated, high-transparency supply chains capable of delivering error-free, time-critical replenishment at scale.