Mixed Case Palletizing: Smarter B2B Fulfillment
Retail moves fast, and fulfillment must move even faster. Whether it’s FMCG, food, or something else, replenishing shelves quickly and accurately is essential for retailers to stay competitive.
While some sectors are reducing SKUs to focus on top performers (*1), the reality is that most retailers still manage a vast and diverse inventory. The average US supermarket carries nearly 32,000 SKUs (*2), and UK convenience stores average 4,600 SKUs (*3), ranging from food and beverages, health and beauty products, household goods, and more.
This complexity challenges fulfillment centers to handle thousands of items in varying shapes and sizes—and deliver the right mix, at the right time. Unlike manufacturing’s single-SKU pallets, retail demands mixed loads tailored to store needs.
Why Mixed Case Palletizing Matters
Mixed case palletizing involves stacking products of different shapes, sizes, and weights onto a single pallet—mirroring the reality of modern retail and B2B fulfillment, where orders are rarely uniform. As distribution centers face increasing pressure to deliver speed, accuracy, and flexibility, automating this process becomes essential. Automation enables the creation of stable, store-ready pallets that accommodate a wide variety of goods.
When implemented effectively, automated mixed case palletizing solutions offers several key benefits:
- Faster order turnaround: Items are rapidly palletized factoring in load profiles to ensure product quality and stability.
- Improved load stability: Smart stacking algorithms reduce the risk of product damage and prevent pallet collapse during transport.
- Reduced labor strain and hiring challenges: Automation handles the complexity, allowing workers to focus on higher-value tasks. Even in manual operations, proper sequencing and clear instructions help frontline teams stack pallets correctly. With labor shortages becoming more common and costly (*４), automation is increasingly essential to maintain operational pace.
- Better truck utilization: Mixed pallets make better use of available space, lowering shipping costs and reducing environmental impact.
- Fewer fulfillment errors: Automating the palletizing process minimizes mistakes, ensuring stores receive the correct products. This leads to better shelf availability, happier customers, and smoother in-store pickup experiences.
Beyond the Pallet: The Importance of Sequencing
Success in mixed case palletizing begins well before the pallet is assembled. To ensure stability and store-friendly delivery, items must be sequenced correctly—whether the pallet is built by a robot or manually by a team member. This sequencing requires intelligent upstream systems that can dynamically store, retrieve, and organize items based on order requirements.
The Role of the AS/RS in Mixed Case Palletizing Success
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), particularly Mini Load systems, play a critical role in enabling high-performance mixed case operations. These systems are designed to handle small loads—such as totes, cases, and trays—and come in two main types: crane-based and shuttle/vehicle-based AS/RSs.
Crane-Based vs. Shuttle-Based Mini Load Systems
- Crane-based Mini Load
- Ideal for vertical storage, typically up to 20 meters. These Mini Load systems use high-reaching cranes to offer high-density storage and offer a mid-level of throughput combined with sequencing.
- Shuttle/vehicle-based Mini Load
- Designed for high throughput, systems like the Daifuku Shuttle Rack M use multiple shuttles or vehicles operating simultaneously across different sections or levels of the storage system. Each shuttle retrieves items from its designated area, enabling fast and efficient sequencing for mixed case palletizing.
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Crane-based Mini Load
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Shuttle-based Mini Load—Shuttle Rack M
Mixed Case Palletizing — Bringing It All Together
At the end of the line, assembling the mixed-case pallet comes into play, either automatically with a robot or manually by a person.
- Manual: With guided sequencing and ergonomic design, manual palletizing stations remain viable. The load is delivered from the AS/RS via conveyor, and the operator follow instructions on the screen to stack in the right order and pattern.
- Automated: Robotic systems—such as articulated arms and gantry systems—offer speed and precision in mixed case palletization. These systems can operate 24-7 and streamline the palletizing and shipping process.
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Manual mixed-case palletizing
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Articulated robot arm (F-Line)
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Gantry system (courtesy of ULMA Handling)
Automated mixed case palletizing solutions, such as the IK PAL—developed by our Spain-based partner ULMA Handling—are designed to handle a wide variety of colli and case types with precision and speed. These robots use advanced vision systems, gripping technologies, and stacking algorithms to build stable, efficient pallets tailored to each order.
Smarter Path Forward
Mixed case palletizing gives retailers and fulfillment providers the edge they need to meet large SKU counts, labor shortages, and customer expectations. By combining intelligent sequencing, AS/RS technology, and flexible palletizing—manual, robotic, or hybrid—businesses can boost speed, reduce errors, and deliver store-ready pallets with precision. Whether you're running a grocery DC or a retail hub, investing in mixed case palletizing means investing in agility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Delve into our F-Line case study to learn how the deployment of a Mini Load AS/RS and automated mixed case palletizing robots helped streamline operations.
End-to-End Handling
Automation isn’t just for palletizing. Daifuku solutions optimize every step—from storage and sorting to picking and transport. Explore our Retail Solutions to see how we enable seamless flow from receival to shipping.
References:
Ted Tanaka
Intralogistics Division, Daifuku
Born and raised in Japan, Ted spent two years in Russia and five years in the United States before joining Daifuku in 2011. He began his career developing Daifuku's wider overseas business, then moved on to providing sales support for Intralogistics business subsidiaries in the ASEAN region, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as well as conducting market research and development in Vietnam. Today, he supports sales activities for Daifuku subsidiaries in Singapore and Europe.