Tompkins Robotics
About CVS
Nationwide Healthcare & Retail Pharmacy Leader
CVS is a leading U.S. healthcare and pharmacy retail chain, serving millions of customers through its extensive store network and digital platforms. With a mission to improve health outcomes and streamline access to care, CVS operates multiple large-scale distribution centers to ensure timely delivery of health essentials and retail products.
The Challenge
Meeting Rising Fulfillment Demands
As consumer demand continued to grow and e-commerce fulfillment requirements became more complex, CVS faced mounting pressure to evolve its distribution capabilities. The company had to increase throughput, improve accuracy, and reduce manual labor to keep up with rising demand. At the same time, it aimed to make better use of available space and ensure that any new solution would integrate seamlessly with its existing warehouse management systems (WMS).
One of CVS’s most critical facilities—the 1,000,000+ square-foot Lumberton Distribution Center—plays a key role in serving the densely populated Northeast and New York City metro area. Despite its large footprint, the Lumberton facility was limited to a maximum output of 150,000 units per day, creating a hard cap on operational growth and long-term scalability.
The Solution
Autostore + Tompkins Robotics tSort
To meet rising demand and modernize its operations, CVS deployed a dual robotic automation strategy, integrating AutoStore for high-density storage and retrieval with Tompkins Robotics’ tSort for high-speed, dynamic sortation. Together, these systems handle high-volume e-commerce orders while maximizing space and reducing manual touchpoints.
AutoStore batch-picks goods and sends them directly to tSort, where items flow to induction stations and are placed onto robot trays. Because any order can be inducted at any station and sent to any destination—in this case, totes—the system delivers exceptional batch-picking efficiency.
This combination highlights the strength of pairing an AS/RS with tSort’s ability to sort to thousands of destinations without conveyors or fixed tracks, which can limit throughput, consume space, and impede future reconfiguration.
The Results
Throughput Gains and Labor Savings
With the deployment of the dual robotic system, Tompkins Robotics’ tSort and AutoStore, CVS transformed its Lumberton Distribution Center into a high-throughput, space-optimized operation. Daily throughput surged from 150,000 units to over 400,000, enabling CVS to process 1.9 million units per week. Plans are in place to scale this further to 3.5 million weekly. Despite the size of the original facility, the robotic infrastructure required only 160,000 square feet to match the output of a traditional 1,000,000 square foot warehouse. This shift delivered significant gains in space utilization and operational efficiency.
The automation upgrade also reduced manual labor, improved safety, and introduced intuitive workflows. Operators can be fully trained in just 15 minutes, further supporting operational agility. These core improvements enabled additional results, including:
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Over 99.9% pick accuracy, ensuring near-perfect order fulfillment
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40% lower picking costs compared to other CVS distribution centers
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Modular, flexible system reconfigurable in minutes with no downtime
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Enhanced employee experience, with reduced physical strain and safer working conditions
“The combined implementation of Tompkins Robotics' tSort system with AutoStore has transformed the CVS Lumberton Distribution Center, delivering unmatched efficiency, accuracy, and scalability while enhancing employee satisfaction. We’ve been breaking records almost every week with the amount of volume that we’re able to push through that building.”
— Jamie Tatum, Lead Director, Supply Chain Strategy, CVS
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