Overview
September’s warehouse automation news spans major facility plans, pallet handling in live operations and the pressures facing warehouses as the year-end trading period approaches. Alongside new investment, industry coverage is giving more attention to two less visible parts of warehouse performance: managing returns and keeping automated equipment running reliably.
Pallet Handling Supports Production at Cummins
At Cummins’ manufacturing site in Lindesberg, Sweden, a newly reported automation system moves pallets between goods-in, high-bay storage and picking areas. Fifteen autonomous mobile robots handle up to 2,000 transport orders a day, working alongside pallet conveyors, automated storage and warehouse software. The system also brings empty pallets back through the operation. Cummins project report.
This is a useful example of automation serving production, rather than simply storing more goods. Parts need to reach picking areas when they are required, and each pallet has to move between several systems on its way there. The project shows how much depends on those transfers working consistently throughout the day.
Skechers Plans a Major European Distribution Centre
Skechers has announced plans for a new European distribution centre in Liège, Belgium. Designed for more than 3.3 million storage locations, the proposed operation will combine carton shuttles, automatic pallet storage, goods-to-person stations, conveyors and sorters. It is expected to begin serving the European market at the end of 2028, with its opening completed in stages by mid-2030. Skechers project report.
The planned capacity is substantial, but the project is about more than storage space. Cartons will need to move through replenishment, picking and sorting before leaving the building. Designing those processes together should help the facility handle growing order volumes without creating a bottleneck between storage and dispatch.
It is also a long-term project, so its proposed capacity and performance should be understood as plans rather than results already achieved.
A Longer Import Peak Puts Pressure on Inbound Operations
A September forecast from the US National Retail Federation suggests that the peak import season is lasting longer than expected. It estimates that major US container ports will handle 2.31 million twenty-foot equivalent units in September, potentially making it their busiest month of 2026. The figure is a forecast, with final September volumes yet to be reported. National Retail Federation’s September Global Port Tracker update.
This is US port data, so it should not be taken as a measure of UK warehouse activity. It does, however, highlight a familiar operational problem: inbound volumes do not always arrive when businesses first expect them. Delayed or concentrated arrivals can put pressure on vehicle unloading, goods-in space, pallet movement and put-away.
For warehouses preparing for seasonal demand, outbound capacity is only part of the picture. Goods first need to be unloaded, checked and moved into storage quickly enough for the rest of the operation to function smoothly.
Returns Remain a Difficult Part of the Flow
The September issue of Modern Materials Handling has also put returns back in focus, asking why they remain a persistent warehouse challenge despite advances in automation elsewhere. Unlike a standard inbound delivery, a returned item may need inspection before anyone knows where it should go next. It might be restocked, repaired, repackaged or removed from sale. Modern Materials Handling’s September discussion of returns.
That uncertainty can make returns difficult to fit into a warehouse designed primarily around predictable inbound and outbound flows. Products may need somewhere to wait for assessment, while staff need clear routes for moving them to their next destination.
The wider point is that faster order fulfilment does not automatically solve reverse logistics. Returns need their own space, process and capacity within the operation.
Maintaining Automation Gains Attention
As warehouses rely on more automated equipment, maintenance becomes more closely tied to daily throughput. The September issue of Modern Materials Handling examines growing interest in using equipment data to identify potential failures earlier and reduce unplanned downtime. Its coverage includes the effect a stopped conveyor, robot or sensor can have on the rest of an operation. Modern Materials Handling’s report on warehouse maintenance.
The practical concern extends beyond any one technology. When storage, transport and picking processes are connected, a fault at one point can delay goods elsewhere. Access to spare parts, clear maintenance routines and an understanding of where the most critical handovers occur all matter to performance over time.
Conclusion
September’s developments show warehouse automation being assessed across the full journey of goods. The Cummins project demonstrates pallet movement supporting production in a live setting, while Skechers’ planned facility shows the scale of investment in connected storage and fulfilment. Meanwhile, the extended US import peak, returns and equipment maintenance draw attention to the pressures that can disrupt those flows.
For warehouse operators, the recurring question is where goods wait or need extra handling. Looking closely at those points can reveal opportunities to improve performance, whether the next step is a major automation project or a change to an existing process.