HelloFresh: Scaling Warehouse Automation

Leading meal kit brand company HelloFresh is sharing positive feedback after sourcing robotics from warehouse automation company Locus Robotics.

Utilising a specialised cold-storage hardware update designed by Locus Robotics for HelloFresh's 'Factor' brand, the organisation has successfully scaled its fulfillment volume from 100 to 500 SKUs.

This enhancement significantly increases storage capabilities across the wider meal kit portfolio, supporting further expansion for the company's various brands.

To address potential battery performance issues in chilled environments, Locus Robotics created a heated motor modification for its Origin robots. This enhancement ensures the robots remain operational and stable while working and charging within cold storage facilities.

Currently, the AI-driven firm oversees roughly 12,000 square feet of chilled fulfilment operations for HelloFresh, which incorporates a pair of high-speed picking lines for meal kits. Within the HelloFresh supply chain, Locus Origin robots facilitate the rapid movement of orders from the point of induction to final drop-off, providing comprehensive tracking for every transition.

Executive members approve procurement decision 

Brad Mesloh, Associate Director, Strategic Design at HelloFresh, explains the process: “Our customers expect more choice, more flexibility, and a consistently great experience,”

“Delivering that in a chilled fulfilment environment requires precision, speed, and technology that can adapt to the complexity of our operations. Locus Robotics gave our teams a simple, easy-to-use AMR platform that was faster, safer and required less space than other options we evaluated. 

“The implementation was extremely smooth, with much of the testing completed virtually before go-live. Once the robots were on the floor, final validation took only a few days, making the deployment much quicker and simpler than our legacy systems.”

Jasmine Lombardi, Chief Customer Officer of Locus, adds: “HelloFresh is scaling one of the most demanding fulfilment models in the market: high volume, high variety and temperature-controlled from start to finish,” 

“By increasing capacity and expanding automation across HelloFresh’s portfolio of brands, Locus Robotics is enabling greater meal choice for its customers while maintaining the speed and precision its fulfillment model demands.”

Origins of procurement relationship

The initial procurement phase between HelloFresh and Locus Robotics for the Factor brand began in July 2025, launching a pilot program with 13 Locus Origin units. Following a successful trial where the autonomous fleet achieved an average fulfillment time of 3 minutes and 36 seconds per order, the organisation opted to deepen its sourcing partnership by integrating another 26 robots. The program also helped HelloFresh to streamline its automation process. 

Looking ahead, HelloFresh is set to broaden its automated footprint by introducing robotics to its ‘EveryPlate’ brand later this year.

HelloFresh’s supply chain actions

To refine its supply chain operations in 2025, HelloFresh integrated an AI system specifically for recipe card generation, establishing automation as a foundational element of its logistics strategy.

Assaf Ronen, Group President at HelloFresh, details the change: “After years of serving millions of customers around the world, HelloFresh has built the world’s largest recipe database, paired with a wealth of proprietary insights into what people love to cook and eat,”

“This depth of culinary data is a key differentiator that allows our technology to bring together creativity, personalisation and speed in a way that elevates the home experience for every customer”

This approach allows HelloFresh to scale its supply chain output efficiently while maintaining quality control.

Bloomberg reports that this initiative is a component of a US$70m investment by the company focused on expanding its menu through AI-driven solutions.