Kmart Australia, part of Wesfarmers, is a leading discount retailer operating more than 300 stores across Australia and New Zealand. Known for its high-volume, fast-moving product assortment, Kmart relies on efficient, scalable distribution and fulfillment operations to keep stores consistently stocked and support ongoing growth.
Kmart’s distribution network supports over 300 stores and tens of thousands of SKUs across a diverse product mix. This created several operational challenges:
Managing high volumes of cases, inner packs, and eaches
Meeting increasing throughput demands driven by store growth
Addressing ongoing labor constraints
Optimizing space within existing facilities
Controlling capital investment while expanding capacity
Kmart needed a flexible, cost-effective automation solution that could scale with demand while maintaining operational efficiency.
Following a competitive RFP process, Kmart selected Tompkins Robotics’ tSort system—an autonomous mobile robot (AMR)-based sortation solution designed for flexibility, scalability, and rapid deployment.
The system enabled Kmart to streamline store replenishment by efficiently sorting a wide range of product types while adapting to fluctuating volumes.
Accelerated deployment: Went from installation to go-live in under 5 months, with full ramp-up achieved within weeks
Reduced capital costs: Approximately 50% lower investment compared to traditional tilt-tray or crossbelt systems
Increased scalability: Modular design free from fixed infrastructure allows robots and system components to be added or reconfigured as demand changes
Maximized space utilization: Reduced required footprint by more than 60% while increasing processing capacity
Expanded product handling: Supports cartons, polybags, loose items, and mixed packaging formats
Improved operational performance: Increased throughput, enhanced inventory accuracy, and stronger overall financial outcomes
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