Bathroom Mountain installs three AS/RS to boost e-commerce

Bathroom Mountain: Competitive prices and quick delivery

Bathroom Mountain is a UK-based company specialising in online sales of bathroom products, including bathtubs, basins, heating systems and showers. In addition to its e-commerce platform, the business also operates several showrooms across the UK, displaying a wide selection of merchandise. Founded in 2020, the company has a professional team of over 60 employees.

“Efficient shipping is paramount to the success of any e-commerce business — customers expect quick deliveries and a hassle-free shopping experience,” says Shamila Iqbal, Co-Founder and Director of Bathroom Mountain. To meet these expectations, the bathroom furnishings and accessories company relocated its logistics operations to Stoke-on-Trent (UK). It now runs a distribution centre (DC) equipped to handle high daily order volumes.

Covering 16,000 m², the facility features a showroom and three automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs) managed by Easy WMS. Developed by Mecalux, this warehouse management software solution processes Bathroom Mountain’s daily orders. The WMS oversees thousands of SKUs in real time, including bathtubs, toilets, basins, taps, furniture and mirrors. “We needed to ensure the high level of service our customers expect. Automation is crucial for accelerating processes, minimising errors and shortening delivery times,” says Iqbal.

Technology plays a key role in driving picking — Bathroom Mountain’s core logistics operation — while enabling the business to scale. Mecalux’s storage systems are designed to grow with the company. “The question was how to expand our product range without compromising efficiency,” says James Bacon, Operations Manager at Bathroom Mountain. After conferring with Mecalux’s expert team, the company concluded that “automation was the natural step to optimise our operations and continue evolving.”

Iqbal says: “We chose Mecalux because of its expertise in the automation industry and its ability to tailor a unique solution for our needs. It has an excellent team in the UK that supported us every step of the way to ensure a smooth implementation.”

Three AS/RS in a single facility

Mecalux’s three AS/RSs meet Bathroom Mountain’s need to streamline putaway and picking for thousands of SKUs of varying sizes. “After some initial training, the team adapted quite well to the new logistics technologies. Automation reduces the physical strain and minimises the most repetitive daily tasks, so our operators are very happy,” says Iqbal.

The combination of three automated storage systems allows us to manage larger order volumes with greater precision and fewer errors.

One AS/RS features three aisles, each 120 m long, and holds 14,000 pallets containing toilets, basins and other bathroom furniture. It is equipped with two pick stations where operators fill up to 10 batches of orders simultaneously. A second AS/RS stores larger products such as radiators, mirrors and furniture on 3,000 XL pallets (1,000 mm x 2,100 mm). It also incorporates two pick stations capable of processing eight batches of orders at a time.

Smaller items, including taps and bathroom accessories, are housed in a 12-metre-high miniload AS/RS for 7,900 totes. “We’ve seen a significant improvement compared to our previous manual operations. The system’s ability to swiftly and reliably supply the picking area has increased accuracy and reduced errors,” says Bacon. To further enhance fulfilment performance, a put-to-light system was installed on shelves located just behind the two pick stations.

Mecalux’s integrated solution also includes Easy WMS, which simultaneously manages the three AS/RSs and an area with manually operated racks. “We first implemented the software in our manual storage zone to help staff become familiar with it before transitioning to automation. Easy WMS now coordinates and supervises all our manual and automated operations,” says Bacon.

Fast response to daily e-commerce demand

“The combination of three automated storage systems allows us to take on larger order volumes and meet next-day delivery expectations,” says Iqbal.

At Bathroom Mountain, the fulfilment process begins the minute an order enters the system. The ERP system notifies Easy WMS, which then triggers the transfer of the required products to the various pick stations. Orders are prepared using the goods-to-person strategy: conveyors automatically deliver pallets or totes containing bathroom items and accessories to the pick stations.

“One of the main advantages of the Mecalux technology is batch picking,” says Bacon. This method involves collecting multiple units of the same item at once to later distribute them across different orders. Batch picking boosts efficiency for Bathroom Mountain by streamlining in-house goods transport. Mecalux also set up an area with 84 pallet positions for fast-moving goods. Managed by a transfer car, these unit loads are sent directly to pick stations instead of being stored on racks. This approach maximises stacker crane cycles, speeding up order fulfilment across the entire DC.

Expanding e-commerce logistics

“Continuous improvement is what sets us apart and drives us to keep growing,” says Iqbal.

Mecalux’s comprehensive logistics solution has helped Bathroom Mountain automate key processes and efficiently manage rising demand. With a scalable infrastructure and advanced technology, the company is well-equipped to take on new challenges and strengthen its growth in the e-commerce market for bathroom products.

Easy WMS now coordinates and supervises all our manual and automated operations.