According to www.supplychaindive.com, HelloFresh has expanded its chilled fulfillment capacity fivefold — from 100 SKUs to 500 SKUs — following the deployment of Locus Robotics’ Origin autonomous mobile robots at its Phoenix facility.
Robotics deployment accelerates cold-chain scalability
The expansion, confirmed in a Business Wire news release issued June 23, 2026, marks the latest phase of HelloFresh’s multi-year automation strategy focused on temperature-controlled logistics. The company now leverages Locus Origin robots across approximately 12,000 square feet of chilled fulfillment space at the Phoenix site — a dedicated environment maintained at precise refrigerated conditions required for meal kit ingredients.
The robots handle end-to-end tasks including order induction, tote retrieval, and box drop-off — completing each fulfillment cycle in an average of three minutes and 36 seconds. This speed enables higher throughput without expanding physical footprint or labor headcount, directly supporting HelloFresh’s growth across its portfolio, which includes the Factor brand launched in 2021.
Pilot origins and phased rollout
HelloFresh first introduced 13 Locus Origin robots in July 2025 as part of a pilot program targeting its Factor premium meal kit line. That initial deployment served as a functional proof point for cold-chain robotics integration, validating performance metrics and operational reliability before scaling across broader fulfillment operations.
Unlike ambient-temperature warehouse automation, chilled environments impose stricter engineering constraints — including condensation management, battery thermal regulation, and material compatibility. According to Max Garland, Lead Reporter at Supply Chain Dive, the Phoenix implementation represents one of the few publicly documented deployments of AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) operating continuously in a refrigerated fulfillment setting above 32°F (0°C).
Operational impact and industry context
The 5X SKU capacity increase allows HelloFresh to broaden its chilled product assortment — adding more protein variants, regional produce options, and dietary-specific kits — without proportional increases in labor or real estate costs. This aligns with broader industry trends: a 2025 MHI Annual Industry Report found that 68% of food and grocery supply chain leaders cited cold-chain automation as a top-three investment priority over the next three years.
Other major players have pursued similar paths. In Q4 2024, Amazon deployed over 2,000 Kiva robots in its newly opened 300,000-square-foot refrigerated fulfillment center in Dallas. Meanwhile, UK-based Ocado reported a 22% reduction in chilled-pick labor hours per order after integrating Locus systems into its Andover hub in early 2025.
For supply chain professionals managing perishable goods, the HelloFresh case demonstrates how targeted robotics adoption can decouple capacity growth from linear labor scaling — particularly valuable amid persistent cold-chain labor shortages and rising energy costs associated with refrigerated warehousing.
Source: Supply Chain Dive
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
