Consumer Goods Logistics

It’s Possible: How TGW Logistics Brought Warehouse Automation to Musikhaus Thomann

Treppendorf, Germany

Expansion of Distribution Center

Musikhaus Thomann, a family-owned music retailer founded in 1954, is one of the largest online music dealers in the world. Known for supplying more than 12 million customers globally, Thomann needed to expand its existing distribution center in Treppendorf, Germany, to meet growing demands. With TGW Logistics’ cutting-edge technology and warehouse automation solutions, an ambitious project became a reality—proving that with the right partnership, anything is possible.

Challenges: Scaling for Global Efficiency Without Disruption

By 2018, Thomann’s growing volume required operational adjustments. With up to 28,000 shipments on peak days and 15,000 shipments on average, keeping up was a struggle—let alone getting ahead. Our initial analysis revealed several priority fixes:

Thomann needed to increase its shipment capacity by 50% to meet rising demand.
Order fulfillment time had to be reduced below the current 56 minutes.
The expansion needed to occur without disrupting daily operations, allowing Thomann to continue fulfilling orders while the new system was implemented.
The new, automated fulfillment center had to integrate smoothly with the existing system without causing operational downtime.

Solution and Material Flow: Streamlining for Success

TGW Logistics’ warehouse automation solutions proved to be the key to Thomann's facility expansion. The upgrade featured an automated pallet storage area with 18,000 positions and automated mini-load aisles with 70,000 tote storage positions. These storage and retrieval systems ensured a fast and continuous supply of SKUs to order-picking workstations.