Wakefern Food Corp. and ShopRite Pilot Kardex Vertical Storage Unit

New technology increases capacity and enhances online shopping service

Keasbey, NJ – (Aug. 10, 2021) – Wakefern Food Corp. is piloting the innovative Kardex Remstar Shuttle XP Vertical Lift Module (VLM) storage solution at the ShopRite of Kingston in Kingston, NY, to enhance the store’s online shopping service. Wakefern – the logistics, merchandising and distribution arm for ShopRite stores – is the second grocery retailer nationwide to utilize this space-saving technology.

The Kardex Remstar Shuttle XP is a compact automated storage and retrieval system designed to maximize space and offer high-capacity storage.

“The Shuttle XP is a great solution for managing online orders in a small area,” said Mark Dunaway, President of North America Operations for Kardex Remstar. “Our collaboration with ShopRite and Wakefern is a good example of how leveraging automation and technology can provide an enhanced customer experience.”

Grocery orders are stored in totes on the trays located within the unit, and the Shuttle XP automatically delivers those totes based on an order barcode scan when the customer arrives for pickup. The machine can also deliver orders when a customer checks in for curbside pick-up.

The Shuttle XP increases storage capability by five times while reducing order errors and customer wait times. The system also increases slot capacity for stores with limited online shopping space. The Kingston store is piloting the innovative storage solution in its ShopRite from Home department at the Kingston store.

“We are excited to use the Kardex Remstar Shuttle XP as another tool to enhance online shopping service,” said Steve Henig, Wakefern’s Chief Customer Officer. “Our ShopRite from Home online shopping service is one of the fastest growing parts of our business and we are always looking for ways to streamline the online shopping process for our customers.”

About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With nearly 280 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves millions of customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has donated nearly $50 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated $37 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.

About Wakefern
From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative comprises nearly 50 member families who today independently own and operate 362 supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs nearly 80,000 people and is one of the largest employers in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.wakefern.com