Efficient inventory management with Delfi Technologies in NORMAL’s new state-of-the-art 78,000 m2 logistics centre

With new stores opening every week, an efficient warehouse is essential. In collaboration with Delfi Technologies and Zebra Technologies, NORMAL has created a cutting-edge logistics centre that combines advanced technology with efficient processes—an setup that ensures smooth and accurate inventory management while supporting the chain’s ambitious growth plans.

The logistics centre’s primary goal is to guarantee on-time, organised and efficient delivery to all stores. The state-of-the-art warehouse facilities in Hedensted currently serve stores in eight countries and have the capacity to support up to 1,000 stores. Covering an impressive area of 78,000 m², the logistics centre consists of six halls, each approximately 100 metres long. This provides space for around 100,000 pallet locations.

Behind this impressive infrastructure is a collaboration with the IT company Delfi Technologies. At the logistics centre, all goods are received, distributed and stored using barcode solutions from Zebra Technologies, which digitally record all inventory movements and ensure the required efficiency.

Digitalisation with leading technology

NORMAL has implemented a solution based on Zebra Technologies. The warehouse’s reach trucks are equipped with a truck solution that includes 10-inch Zebra tablets and long-range scanners that can scan barcodes up to 12 metres high. This ensures accurate and efficient inventory management.

The warehouse also uses smaller vehicles, known as “runners”, which are equipped with Zebra handheld terminals. There are around 100 runners, each with a handheld terminal used to scan pallets for both inbound and outbound goods. The handheld terminals enable long-range scanning and ensure the scan is correct the first time—every time. This improves efficiency and makes daily operations smoother.

“In particular, the scan quality—you can scan from a long distance, and you can scan right the first time, every time. That’s what makes day-to-day work easy,” says Thomas Knudsen, Device Specialist at NORMAL.

Global sourcing creates challenges—but they are resolved efficiently

NORMAL’s concept is based on buying products where they are cheapest, bringing them home and selling them. During this process, the retail chain often finds that many product declarations do not meet the requirements of the different countries. Therefore, they have an extensive setup for relabelling products. The process starts with the purchasing department defining a new label that is legally compliant. Using a print solution with BarTender label software, the label is defined with all necessary information, after which it is printed on Zebra printers and applied to the product so that it meets the requirements in the relevant country.

A future with major growth plans

Today, NORMAL has 685 stores and plans to open around 300 per year over the next five years. According to Thomas Knudsen, it is crucial to have a scalable setup where new technology is compatible with existing systems. This ensures that the retail chain can expand efficiently and seamlessly without having to start over with new systems.

“The plan is to open around 300 a year over the next five years. Whenever we choose new hardware, you look at it and think, well, it’s fine—it works once, but will it work 300 times? Will it work 6,000 times? I do this once now, but I know it will happen 300 times every year, so I need to make sure the process is efficient from the very first time.”