The Challenge
Premier Yarns is a manufacturer and distributor of hand-knitting yarns based in Harrisburg, North Carolina. The company serves both mass-market and independent retailers and sells directly to consumers through its eCommerce operation. Premier Yarns experienced rapid growth in e-commerce demand as online orders increased from approximately 20 per day before the COVID-19 pandemic to 400–500 per day. During Black Friday, order volume placed additional pressure on the company’s largely manual fulfillment process, creating capacity constraints and long shipping windows.
The company needed to increase picking productivity, improve order accuracy, and ship orders faster without relying on employees to push carts throughout the warehouse. Premier Yarns worked with its material handling partner, Carolina Handling, to identify an automation solution that could support its growing direct-to-consumer business.
The Solution
Premier Yarns deployed 12 Locus Robots to support picking workflows within its eCommerce fulfillment operation. The robots transport picked orders to an induction area, where orders are placed onto a conveyor and delivered to packing stations.
The Locus Robotics warehouse automation solution directs associates to the correct items and determines which products should be placed in each tote, helping prevent mispicks. Operational dashboards also provide visibility into open picks, robot activity, and demand by warehouse area, allowing the team to prioritize replenishment and keep high-volume aisles stocked.
The Results
With Locus Robotics, Premier Yarns doubled both daily picks and shipments, reaching an average of 1,000 shipments per day. Order shipping time decreased from five to 10 business days to two to three business days, representing an improvement of up to 80%.
Pick accuracy and working conditions also improved. Associates now work hands-free within designated aisles instead of pushing carts, making it easier to pick, replenish inventory, and maintain aisles throughout the shift. Real-time dashboard visibility helps the operations team identify areas with high picking activity and focus replenishment where it is needed most.
Our daily picks have doubled, and we’ve gone from a huge window time frame of shipping our orders, five to 10 business days, down to two to three business days.