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Associated Wholesale Grocers partners with Takeoff Technologies on fulfillment centers

Kansas City-based Associated Wholesale Grocers has signed as a retail partner with Massachusetts-based Takeoff Technologies to build micro-fulfillment centers for online grocery orders, a move made by AWG to address the changing retail landscape.

A Wednesday news release from Associated Wholesale Grocers announced the grocery retailer has partnered with Takeoff Technologies, a Massachusetts-based eGrocery solution company.

The partnership was made to build micro-fulfillment centers in the Kansas City region, centers that are miniature, automated warehouses that use robots to fulfill online orders.

These centers typically hold 12,000 to 20,000 of the most popular products purchased by consumers, yet the facilities are small enough to fit inside the back of existing stores or operate as stand-alone facilities.

Associated Wholesale Grocers is the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets and has been exploring emerging technologies to address a changing retail landscape.

“The partnership between AWG and Takeoff Technologies represents a significant opportunity for AWG and its members to profitably grow online sales,” Jeff Pedersen, executive vice president, chief sales and support officer for Associated Wholesale Grocers said in a statement.

“This strategic partnership allows our members to stay ahead of the competition with a profitable expansion strategy and enhance customer convenience,” Pedersen said.