Woolworths Case Study

Woolworths' Supermarket Distribution Expands with Spacerack

Woolworths Warehouse RackingDue to the growing demand for Woolworths' supermarket outlets in Queensland, Woolworths had increased the size of their main distribution centre in Acacia Ridge, Brisbane by 50%.

Many problems were posed by the variety of products, the varying large and small quantities of orders, and Woolworths' need for a fast and efficient operation to achieve delivery deadlines. Spacerack's solution included the use of selective rack for pallet loads and narrow aisle order picking for cartons, supplemented by strategically placed carton pick faces within the selective rack. To protect the rack from impact by pallets in the rapid turn around operation, Spacerack designed a special floor level post protection for the rear part of the rack frame to complement the well tried and proven front post protector.

Woolworths chose to use Spacerack's beam of fully welded construction to provide a more positive resistance to impact damage than is obtained with other types of beams.

  • Number of pallets stored - 12,500
  • Height of racking - 8.5 metres
  • Maximum pallet weight - 1600kg