Market Report: Goods-to-Person Ecommerce Fulfilment Robotics 2019

The nascent but rapidly growing goods to person robotics market is being fueled by continued ecommerce growth, labor shortages, and the success of Amazon’s Kiva acquisition, with key developments including the rise of systems for online grocery fulfillment and advancements in robotic picking.

Goods to Person Robotics Market

• Growing Market – The G2P robotics market is nascent but growing rapidly, estimated at $400-500 million in 2019.
• Key Drivers – Continued ecommerce growth, labor shortages, and the success of Amazon Robotics are driving demand for G2P solutions.

Suppliers & Segments

• 38 Suppliers Identified – The report profiles 38 companies offering G2P solutions across 3 segments: AMR, PA-AMR, and ASRS.
• Geographic Differences – AMR dominates in Asia, PA-AMR in North America, and ASRS in Europe. Likely due to IP issues, labor costs, and legacy systems.
• Funding Growth – Funding in the sector grew 120% in 2018 to $450 million. Major raises by Geek+ and GreyOrange in Asia.

Market Size & Growth

• Market Size – Estimated at $400 million in 2018 based on supplier analysis.
• Growth – Expected 45-80% growth in 2019 driven by strong demand and some large vendor deployments.
• Key Players – GreyOrange, Geek+, AutoStore, Ocado, Swisslog, and Fetch Robotics identified as market leaders.

Technology & Trends

• Picking Robots – Significant focus on picking robot development as a key enabler. But still 3-5 years from maturity.
• Grocery Focus – Several new entrants targeting grocery, especially online fulfilment. Perceived as low penetration, high growth.
• Hybrid Solutions – Emerging hybrid models combine AMR, ASRS, and robots in innovative ways.