A transportation fleet that is GPS / GPRS enabled assists in route optimisation.

A state-of-the-art warehouse Management System (WMS) increases the visibility of inventory and throughput, strengthens order management, increases labour productivity and asset utilisation leading to reduction in warehousing cost. An Auto Replenishment System ensures lower obsolescence and lower markdown for the fashion business resulting in higher profitability. A Put-To-Light technology at the warehouses results in saving valuable time and resource during inward receipt at the stores. Material handling systems like forklifts, tail-lifts and pallets prevent damages to the SKUs whereas packaging solutions like shrink wrap and roll cages help in preventing shrinkage and pilferage

The company used to operate around a hundred small warehouses sizing 20,000-30,000 square feet across India, which were no better than godowns. During the last five years, FSC has evolved from godowns to warehouses to distribution centers (DC). Earlier the churn out used to be 20,000-30,000 pieces everyday which has now jumped to over 100,000 pieces. The recently launched DC in Mihan, Nagpur on a peak day handles more than 400,000 pieces which has catapulted it to global standards. The Zero Mile City of India, Nagpur is considered an ideal location for centralised distribution especially in the consumption domain. The top eight consumption centers in India are all within 48 hours of road transit time from Nagpur. This is the first of its kind ultra modern, highly automated, multi-category single location facility of around 400,000 square feet dedicated to product categories across apparels, footwear, furniture, general merchandise, home furnishings. The DCs of these categories have been consolidated from various regions across India to the Nagpur DC. This facility not only reduces variability and inventory holding but also avoids double storage of imported / national distributed stocks. The company has moved from 16 basic DCs in 2008 to 5 DCs by 2010, further consolidating this network to 2 DCs in 2012 for the apparel category. The company targets at further operating out of just one DC for its Big Bazaar stores across India by 2013. This consolidation has resulted in reduction of DC space by around 40% in apparels category and 50% in general merchandise. Vendor touch points have been reduced drastically thereby reducing dispatching and billing complexity at the vendors end. In 2011, the company had launched Indias first most automated DC for food & FMCG in Mumbai catering to its network of 20 Big Bazaar and Food Bazaar stores in Mumbai. The ~128,000 square feet DC handles FMCG, private brands, staples and fresh and vegetable categories. Dispatches to the stores are in unitized loads in roll cages that are floor ready merchandise for the retail store - directly from unloading point to store shelves. Store deliveries through automated technologies like roll cages and tail lifts, scissor lifts has reduced loading and unloading time at the store by third, ensured quicker vehicle turnaround and reduction in store backroom staff for vehicle unloading. This has also resulted in elimination of chances of in-transit damages and shrinkages. This DC improved the fill rates or store shelf availability a critical factor that drives higher sales within Food Bazaar.