3000 robots, 0 humans – 7 interesting facts about Amazon’s logistics centers (+ locations)
If you use Amazon FBA, you have probably wondered what actually happens to your products once they are handed over to one of the Amazon logistics centers.
It is clear that a multitude of items are stored in the fulfillment centers, or in German the logistics centers. It is no coincidence that Amazon is considered the largest online marketplace in the Western Hemisphere. Millions of products need to be sorted, rearranged, picked, packed, or shipped daily. To manage this flood of tasks, the e-commerce giant relies on trained professionals and automation.
You will learn how this happens and which Amazon logistics centers you can use as a seller in this article.
#1 There are nearly 300 Amazon locations worldwide
Amazon is known to be one of the most popular and largest online marketplaces in the world. The 200 million Prime customers expect the promise of next-day delivery to be fulfilled. With a total revenue of 386 billion US dollars, it is clear that Amazon stands out primarily due to its enormous customer service. It is no surprise that the online giant has now established around 300 logistics centers worldwide – 20 of which are in Germany, employing 16,000 logistics workers.
The location of the sites is determined by their proximity to highways and industrial areas. Another factor is the purchasing power of customers in the region. As a result, a quarter of all logistics centers are located in North Rhine-Westphalia alone.
#2 Listed: Amazon logistics centers in Germany
As an Amazon seller, you naturally want to build an efficient supply chain and strategically position your goods in the logistics centers near major cities. This will shorten the shipping times of your products and deliver to your customers faster. For FBA products, there is also the option to use the Inventory Placement Service. Amazon then takes care of the distribution to various Amazon locations near the customers.
We have compiled a list of all Amazon Fulfillment Centers in Germany for you (as of May 2024). However, we advise you to stay updated on the locations to provide your customers with the best possible service and to increase your sales.
| North Rhine-Westphalia | Dortmund DTM2 Kaltbandstraße 444145 Dortmund Mönchengladbach DUS4 Hamburgring 1041179 Mönchengladbach Oelde PAD1 Aurea 1059302 Oelde Rheinberg DUS2 Amazon-Straße 147495 Rheinberg Werne DTM1 Amazonstraße 159368 Werne |
| Bavaria | Hof-Gattendorf NUE1 Amazonstr. 195185 Gattendorf |
| Baden-Württemberg | Pforzheim STR1 Amazon-Straße 175177 Pforzheim |
| Lower Saxony | Achim BRE4 Max-Naumann-Str. 128832 Achim Großenkneten BRE2 Vechtaer Str. 3526197 Großenkneten Helmstedt HAJ1 Zur Alten Molkerei 138350 Helmstedt Winsen HAM2 Borgwardstraße 1021423 Winsen (Luhe) |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | Frankenthal FRA7 Am Römig 567227 Frankenthal Kaiserslautern SCN2 Von-Miller-Straße 2467661 Kaiserslautern Koblenz CGN1 Amazon-Straße 156068 Koblenz |
| Saxony | Leipzig LEJ1 Amazonstraße 104347 Leipzig |
| Saxony-Anhalt | Sülzetal (Osterweddingen) LEJ3 Bielefelder Str. 939171 Sülzetal |
| Thuringia | Gera LEJ5 Am Steingarten 207754 Gera |
| Hesse | Bad Hersfeld FRA1 Am Schloss Eichhof 136251 Bad Hersfeld Bad Hersfeld FRA3 Amazonstrasse 1 / Obere Kühnbach 36251 Bad Hersfeld |
| Brandenburg | Brieselang (Will soon be closed) BER3 Havellandstraße 5 14656 Brieselang |
By the way: Those who do not explicitly exclude storage across Europe with Amazon FBA may have their items stored in an Amazon warehouse in Poland or elsewhere in Central Europe. This results in certain VAT obligations that sellers must pay attention to. If one wants to store their FBA products exclusively in Germany, Amazon will impose penalty fees.
#3 50% of the inventory comes from third-party sellers
Sellers on Amazon can either handle their fulfillment themselves or rely on the decades of experience of the e-commerce giant by using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
That around 50% of the inventory in the logistics centers now comes from marketplace sellers shows how well this offer is received. And rightly so. After all, Amazon FBA provides the perfect customer journey – an important aspect if you want to Buy Box win.
All delivered goods are initially subjected to a quality check. During this process, it is verified whether the provided information matches the product and whether it complies with the guidelines.
#4 30,000 shelves, 3,000 robots, and no employees – the first center with robots
The logistics center in Winsen-Luhe is the first center in Germany where Amazon’s smart robots have taken over the storage space. 3,000 intelligent robots move around 30,000 shelves from A to B, centrally controlled by a computer. Signposts and QR codes on the floor guide the smart helpers on where to go. The computer organizes the paths and avoids collisions – even when employees need to access the area.
Because, of course, this center also does not operate completely without human colleagues.
From picking and packing – this is how humans and robots work together
When stocking the goods on the shelves, humans and robots work hand in hand – or rather hand in wheel. The items need to be placed from black boxes onto the shelves, which is why the robots bring the required shelves to the logistics workers.
They then take an item from the box, scan it, and place it in an empty compartment. Cameras accurately detect which compartment the item was placed in and store this data.
Of course, the shelves also have their limits and can only be loaded up to a maximum of 350 kg. To ensure that the weight is evenly distributed in the shelf and to prevent accidents, smart technologies also indicate to the workers which free compartments the scanned items should be placed in.
Due to the weight limit, only small and lightweight items up to 15 kg can be packed in this Amazon fulfillment center. Larger or heavier items are processed in other logistics centers.
Supported by the latest technologies, the products are also packed and prepared for shipping. For this, robots bring the corresponding shelves to the packing station, where the workers pack the items back into the black boxes. A lot is automated here as well. By scanning the barcode on the box, the workers know exactly which products they need to select. Additionally, a light beam points to the compartment where the corresponding item is stored to avoid longer searches.
#5 Goods are randomly assigned
Of course, most items are not stored just once in a fulfillment center, but multiple times, so that demand can always be met. It seems logical to store all units of item XY in one common location or to keep similar products together. In reality, however, the items are stored individually and randomly distributed throughout the center. This primarily allows for shorter paths during manual picking.
The logistics workers are also supported by smart technologies in this process. The so-called handheld scanner tells them which items they need to pick, where to find them, and which route is the shortest, much like a navigation device.
#6 From shelf to truck takes only about two hours
When customers place an order, the first step is to check which logistics center is closest. The order is then assigned to that center. Next, it is checked when which truck departs in the right direction. This saves time and ensures that the promise of next-day delivery can be kept.
As soon as the order is received, all wheels are already in motion. The robots bring the corresponding shelves to the appropriate workers, who pack the box, which is then directed to the next station. There, the individual packages are packed – of course, also supported by technologies that specify the appropriate box size, for example. The process continues to machine labeling and loading onto the correct truck. The entire process from the smart shelf to the truck takes just two hours.
#7 Returns are processed in dedicated return centers
Returns are a part of online retail just like the “Amen” in church. Of course, this is no different at Amazon. The reasons for returns are diverse, which is why Amazon has established dedicated return centers in addition to fulfillment centers. All returns are collected there and processed by specialized staff.
The reason for the return is, of course, also taken into account. If an item is still in new condition, it is returned to circulation. Products with minor damages are released for Amazon Warehouse Deals. Those that can no longer be sold are donated or destroyed.
#8 Even Amazon makes mistakes
Yes, the online giant has enormous expertise when it comes to fulfillment. But even an experienced company makes mistakes – and not infrequently. For example, it can happen that items in Amazon’s logistics centers are damaged or incorrectly recorded during rearrangement. Or a return may be replaced for the customer but not credited to the seller. It can even happen that products are lost in an Amazon fulfillment center and the seller is not reimbursed for the loss.
As a seller, you must always check your FBA reports and look for discrepancies in these reports. The larger the business, the bigger and more complex it becomes.
But smaller companies are also affected by this issue, as often not all errors are found manually. On average, sellers on Amazon miss out on about 3% of their annual revenue from FBA sales in refunds. Therefore, it is advisable to rely on smart automation just like Amazon.
SELLERLOGIC Lost & Found analyzes and refunds all FBA errors for you up to 18 months retroactively. No hours spent reviewing FBA reports, no tedious gathering of all information for a case, no copy-and-paste into Seller Central, and above all, no nerve-wracking communication with Amazon. This way, you can quickly and easily get your money back.
Conclusion: Automation and trained professionals instead of chaos
With the help of the latest technologies and well-trained staff, the sophisticated Amazon logistics manages to handle the flood of deliveries and shipments. What started small quickly grew into massive Amazon logistics centers, where millions of products are now stored, packaged, and shipped.
The success of Amazon FBA also influences the logistics centers – half of the inventory in the centers belongs to marketplace sellers who utilize this fulfillment service. Despite all the expertise and automation, mistakes occur that every seller should monitor through smart services.
Image credits in the order of the images: @ gohgah – stock.adobe.com / @ Negro Elkha – stock.adobe.com
