Majid Al Futtaim, a shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has collaborated with eGrocery innovator Takeoff Technologies to launch an automated Micro Fulfillment Centre (MFC) at its Carrefour store in Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai.
A first-of-its-kind facility in the Middle East, the digitised storage picking facility automates the task of managing orders, slashing the time required to process them by half. This is the first of three fulfillment centres to adopt advanced technologies and automation, with an additional two fulfillment centres set to implement AI and autonomous robots in the first half of 2021.
The MFC was inaugurated during a visit by HE Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications along with Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim and Hani Weiss, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Retail.
Communities served by Carrefour Ibn Battuta will find it more convenient to order online as a result of the newly implemented technology. Orders will now be automatically processed by a system that controls the automated storage facility, which also includes a chilled section, a first for an automated fulfilment facility.
Weiss said: “We are committed to offering our customers the best experience by implementing innovative technologies that help us achieve efficient operations. In partnership with Takeoff, the automated technologies will help us fulfil customers’ orders faster, while minimising human errors, and utilising our colleagues’ skills to better serve our customers. As always, we remain focused on delivering exceptional value for our customers through every experience.”
Nalla Karunanithy, Chief Digital Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Retail, added that: “Automation is driving the retail industry forward helping to keep up with shoppers’ demands for even faster service. As industry leaders, Carrefour is committed to adopting the most innovative technologies to enhance its operational efficiency. This is the first of three fulfilment centres that demonstrates our drive to continuously develop our processes to better serve our customers.”
The Carrefour MFC utilises Artificial Intelligence (AI) to pick customers’ orders from the optimum storage location.
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