Dematic automates Pattison Food Group grocery distribution centre in B.C.

Supply chain automation provider Dematic has completed a major automation project at Pattison Food Group’s grocery distribution centre in Langley, B.C., aimed at increasing fulfillment efficiency and supporting future growth.

The 485,000-square-foot ambient grocery facility serves Pattison Food Group’s retail banners across Western Canada, including Save-On-Foods, PriceSmart Foods and Quality Foods.

The automated system includes nearly 62,000 storage locations, 16 goods-to-person workstations and integrated conveyor, sortation and sequencing technologies designed to improve split-case and full-case order fulfillment for about 11,000 grocery stock-keeping units.

“Dematic’s strength extends beyond automation to a deep understanding of the operational realities shaping modern grocery fulfillment,” said Mike Olson, senior vice-president of supply chain and wholesale at Pattison Food Group. “That expertise helped us build a scalable, intelligent operation that improves performance today while supporting the flexibility needed for future growth.”

According to the companies, the project is intended to reduce manual handling, improve order accuracy and increase throughput capacity as grocery retailers respond to changing consumer demand and growing omnichannel requirements.

The facility also incorporates software designed to improve warehouse orchestration and supports reusable tote-based distribution processes.

“As grocery operations become more complex and consumer expectations continue to rise, success depends on fulfillment environments that are intelligent, adaptable and built to scale,” said Alexandre Guiard, senior vice-president of business solutions, Americas at Dematic.

The companies said the project reflects a broader trend toward automation and software-driven operations in grocery distribution networks.