CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

LET THE BOTS DO THE WALKING

Our Contract Logistics facility at Bicester provides the British music industry with world-class supply chain solutions that balance human intelligence and robotic automation.

Autonomous mobile robots moving through a warehouse aisle between storage racks, transporting cartons under overhead racking.

THE LOGISTICS DRIVING THE VINYL COMEBACK

Vinyl is having a major revival, with sales now exceeding £200 million a year in the UK.

Our Bicester facility has distributed more than 15 million records and more than 40 million overall units since opening in August 2023, making it the epicentre of physical music distribution in the UK.


Powered by semi-autonomous ‘picking’ robots, developed by Locus Robotics, the warehouse combines manual precision with cutting edge technology to maintain fast and accurate order fulfillment.


Robots and people work together to  pick orders for some of the world’s largest retailers, more than 400 independent record stores, and direct consumers and pack them for delivery. 


Digital screens map the robots as they move around the warehouse, scurry in and out of aisles, carefully navigate around staff and eventually head off to spend time at the recharging station.
 

OUR IMPACT

LOGISTICS AT FULL VOLUME 

Powered by People. Accelerated by Robotics.

Woman wearing a high visibility vest walking down a warehouse aisle lined with shelving units filled with parcels, with a DP World branded display in the foreground.

When I told my daughter about the robots and said I’m going to do the training she said “Oh my God, Mummy, you’re going to have so much fun in there!” I really enjoy the robot picking and I am very happy working with them. 

Kiran Naz

Bot Operative, DP World Bicester

WORKING IN TUNE

It’s the easy interaction between the human skills staff provide and the organisation of the robots that underpins success at our Bicester facility and ensures our customers’ supply chains run like clockwork.

Robotic arm

Ultimate Warehouse Automation

Locus Robotics’ powerful and intelligent autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) work with staff to select the entertainment products ordered by customers.

Handling Seasonal Surges

We collaborated with Locus Robotics on the robots and the layout of the floor plan to accommodate the varying demands at different times of year.

Trusted Order Reliability

Robots reduce the reliance on staff for selecting, packing and shipping activities whether for the world’s largest retailers, independent record stores or D2C.

Growing Faster Together

The collaboration with robots has driven efficiency to new heights at the facility, supporting a significant growth in e-commerce sales.

Autonomous mobile robots operating on a warehouse floor, with staff working at packing stations and storage levels visible in the background.

IN PERFECT HARMONY

“It is interesting to watch the robots and the humans interacting in the day-to-day activities in the warehouse. It has an almost amazing sense of calm. The robots know exactly what they have to do, and the humans know exactly what the robots and they have to do, and it works in an amazing harmony of activity.”

Stephen Whittingham

Chief Operating Officer - Freight - Europe