Macy’s cut the ribbon on its largest and most technically advanced fulfillment center to date. The facility, located in China Grove, North Carolina—around 35 miles north of Charlotte—supports all product categories for the retailer, from apparel to home.
The 2.5-million-square-foot facility boasts the largest storage capacity in Macy’s network, along with state-of-the-art automation and an advanced warehouse management system designed to allow the retailer to process more orders and replenish stores with greater speed and efficiency.
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“The opening of our China Grove facility is a significant step in modernizing our supply chain and elevating the customer experience across every channel—with faster deliveries, well-stocked stores and seamless service,” said Tom Edwards, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Macy’s, Inc. “With this investment, we’re building a faster, more efficient and agile network designed to meet our customers’ needs today and in the future.”
The China Grove site is Macy’s third to introduce high-performance automation, which more than doubled productivity at the first two locations using the technology. The new facility is the first to operate with an advanced warehouse management system, which Macy’s expects to significantly improve efficiency and accuracy of fulfillment and store replenishment, while establishing a model that can be scaled across the company’s network in the years ahead.
“Over the past two years, we’ve tested and learned from automation at other sites, refining how it can make our operations more efficient and our colleagues work safer and smarter,” said Sean Barbour, senior vice president of supply chain operations at Macy’s. “Now, we’re building on those lessons with our most advanced deployment yet including the debut of a new warehouse management system that will provide greater accuracy, flexibility, and speed. We’re proud to celebrate this milestone while continuing to modernize and strengthen our supply chain across the network.”
With the opening of the new facility, Macy’s pledged $250,000 to support local organizations and programs in the China Grove area, including leading the development of an automation training lab at nearby Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The program will give students hands-on access to the technology at Macy’s new site.
Macy’s chose China Grove for the facility due to its position in the Southeast near major thoroughfares, enabling faster, more efficient service to millions of customers. By supporting all product categories, more orders can be shipped from the single location, making it easier to get orders to customers faster and in fewer boxes.
The Macy’s opening comes on the heels of Walmart’s announcement that it will build a new $300 million fulfillment center in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, just south of Charlotte. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility will join seven other such locations in the state and will support the retailer’s e-commerce business, shipping large-scale items such as patio furniture and lawnmowers directly to customers, as soon as next-day.
