Swire Coca-Cola Turns to Robots for Order Picking in Chinese Market

Swire Coca-Cola has implemented robotic systems for order picking in one of its Chinese factories to meet growing demand from consumers.

The company, which invested 900 million yuan (US$134.3 million) in a facility in Zhengzhou, Henan province, began using the robotic system this month to automate order picking.

According to Peter Mills, chief supply chain officer of Swire Coca-Cola, 'China is a growth market, and consumer habits are changing.' He emphasized the need for a flexible and responsive supply chain to cater to shifting needs in emerging sales channels such as convenience stores, vending coolers, and snack stores.

The facility's automation of order picking was a significant challenge in markets where manual labor was still used.