As online shoppers’ demand for same-day delivery or pick up grows, retailers are increasingly filling orders directly from store locations in the customer’s own neighborhood. But crowding store aisles with workers picking items for online orders is not only labor-intensive, it also detracts from the in-store buying experience. Retailers need faster, more efficient order fulfillment methods in order to provide same-day service and still profit.

One possible solution is micro-fulfillment. Micro-fulfillment, sometimes spelled as microfulfillment, seeks to minimize travel time and cost, increase labor efficiency, and ultimately speed up online order fulfillment. Using dense, flexible centralized storage they are able to fulfill online orders from store and fulfillment locations close to customers. With micro-fulfillment, retailers can provide customers with the convenience of online buying and ultra-fast fulfillment via curbside pickup or delivery in just a few hours.