We are incredibly proud to be celebrating our 30th year in business. Reaching this milestone gives us a real opportunity to look back on how far we have come since we were established on 4th March 1996. When we started, we had a simple belief. Storage and handling systems could, and should, perform better. That … Continued
When companies approach us, it is rarely because they simply want ‘new racking’ or ‘warehouse automation’. They usually come to us because their warehouse is under pressure. Space is tighter. Volumes are growing. Service levels are rising. Labour is harder to secure. Costs are making them uncompetitive. In practice, those challenges tend to fall into … Continued
Making Your Warehouse Work Harder. Today, Tomorrow, and for the Long Term At Thistle Systems, everything we do comes back to one simple principle. We exist to make our clients’ businesses better. That belief shapes how we work with our clients, how we design storage solutions and how we think long term. It’s why we … Continued
Why Understanding Warehouse Data Matters for Modern Operations In today’s fast moving warehousing environment, relying on assumptions or operating under ”how we’ve always done it” is no longer enough. Those who are seeing the biggest gains in efficiency, capacity and profitability are those investing in understanding warehouse data – what it means and how to … Continued
When every pallet position counts, unplanned downtime or breakdowns in your automated storage system aren’t just an inconvenience; they’re a costly disruption. From production delays and missed dispatches to increased labour costs, even a few hours of downtime can have a ripple effect across your entire operation. For warehouse managers, engineers, and executives, maintaining consistent … Continued
Thistle Systems, one of the UK’s leading integrators of automated storage solutions, has commenced its latest warehouse automation project to deliver a fully automated pallet warehouse for Mega Fortris at its new £9.5 million UK headquarters in Birmingham. The project will create a state-of-the-art automated warehouse capable of storing more than 2,000 pallets, designed to … Continued
Introduction to Automated Racking Automated Racking Solutions can deliver a number of significant benefits; however, the one thing that gets people turned on to the concept is how much additional capacity it can deliver. Once the potential to increase capacity, often exponentially, is established, the supplementary benefits such as improved throughput, improved safety, reduced operating … Continued
For most growing businesses, success brings a new challenge: how do you scale throughput without scaling costs at the same pace? Hiring more staff, extending shifts, or building bigger facilities might keep orders moving, but each option chips away at profitability. Recruitment is tough, overtime is expensive, and space is finite. At some point, the … Continued
In warehouse automation design, capacity can often be the primary focus when it comes to decision-making. How many pallets can we fit into the warehouse? Are we using every cubic millimetre of space? But there’s a point where maximising capacity alone starts to work against you and cause major problems. Designing a superstructure that’s a … Continued
A global sports nutrition retailer has transformed its fulfilment operations by deploying 73 Brightpick Autopickers, achieving more than 70,000 picks per day with just a handful of staff on site. Key Results 80% reduction in labour costs Return on investment in just two months 65% lower operating expenses The Challenge With over 6,000 SKUs and … Continued
For many CFOs, warehousing is seen as an operational cost centre – a necessary expense to keep goods moving. But the rise of automated pallet storage is transforming warehouses into powerful levers of financial performance. When approached strategically, automation can protect margins, unlock capital, and deliver resilience in ways traditional warehousing simply cannot. 1. Beyond … Continued
Every 3PL leader knows the pain of fulfilment mistakes. They seem small at first: ❌ The wrong SKU was picked off a shelf ❌ Inventory misplaced by just one slot ❌ A minor delivery delay that snowballs But behind each “small” error lurks a chain reaction of costs – returns to process, replacement items to … Continued
A high-growth 3PL ecommerce fulfilment operation needed to fundamentally change how it handled storage, picking, and replenishment. Manual processes were labour-intensive, difficult to scale, and increasingly unable to support rising order volumes and service level expectations. To address these challenges, the business implemented a Brightpick robotic solution to automate storage, retrieval, putaway, and order picking … Continued
In today’s fast-moving world of e-commerce, 3PL, pharma, and retail fulfilment, the pressure to pick, pack and ship faster than ever is relentless. That’s why more businesses are turning to robotics—not just for isolated tasks, but for a fully integrated, end-to-end fulfilment solution. Enter Brightpick—a revolutionary robotic system that goes beyond traditional goods-to-person automation to … Continued
In the rapidly evolving world of warehouse automation, precision matters. Getting it wrong can mean operational disruption, costly downtime, or failure to meet fulfilment targets. That’s why simulation has become a cornerstone of modern automated warehouse solutions—and nowhere is this more evident than with Brightpick. The Power of Simulating Before Investing and Deploying At Brightpick, … Continued
Most warehouse automation systems focus on speeding up the pick. But what if the biggest bottleneck is actually where your inventory is stored? That’s just one of the problems Brightpick solves — not just by picking faster, but by constantly reorganising your warehouse in the background so you’re always ready for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. … Continued
When businesses consider upgrading to an automated warehouse storage system, one concern consistently surfaces: the cost. Many UK companies, particularly SMEs, are assuming that the costs of automated warehouse storage are too high to justify the investment. But is that really the case? In this blog, we aim to understand the true cost of automation, … Continued
Automated pallet storage solutions are transforming the way modern warehouses operate, promising faster throughput, greater accuracy, and a more scalable approach to managing complex inventories. But not all automation delivers the same results. Without the right design strategy behind it, even the most advanced system can underperform, leading to bottlenecks, inefficiencies and missed ROI targets. … Continued
When it comes to modern order fulfilment, speed and accuracy are no longer optional — they’re essential. Whether you’re shipping cosmetics, electronics, groceries, medical supplies, or apparel, the diversity of SKUs can make automation challenging. That’s why Brightpick developed Flow Picking — a high-performance, Goods-to-Person solution that complements its autonomous robotic picking. And the results … Continued
Thistle Systems has unveiled the latest development of its Autocube® Automated Pallet Storage Solution, marking a major milestone in warehouse automation thank to its partnership with Dutch automation pioneers Logiqs, who were the first in the world to introduce 3D pallet shuttle technology. This next-generation system combines decades of proven innovation from Logiqs with Thistle’s … Continued
Discover how AutoCube’s 6th Generation 4-Way Carriers deliver industry-leading energy efficiency — up to 16 hours of runtime on just 2 hours of charge — transforming uptime, cost savings, and warehouse productivity. While Others Are Plugged In, AutoCube Is Picking In the high-stakes world of warehouse automation, energy efficiency is no longer a “nice to … Continued
Bakeries across the UK face mounting pressure to reduce costs, increase throughput, and adapt to rising customer expectations, warehouse automation is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. From small batch operations to large-scale commercial bakeries, automation is unlocking new levels of efficiency, flexibility, and reliability that traditional systems simply can’t match. At Thistle Systems, we … Continued
Thistle Systems, the UK’s leading integrator of advan ced automated storage and picking technologies, is proud to announce the UK launch of Brightpick Autopicker 2.0 – the latest evolution in AI-powered robotic fulfilment. Building on the success of the original Autopicker, version 2.0 introduces a host of breakthrough features designed to maximise warehouse productivity, efficiency, … Continued
How a Leading Pharmaceutical Distributor Unlocked Significant ROI with Automated Order Picking In a sector where accuracy, speed, and traceability are critical, one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical distributors has transformed its order fulfilment operations through warehouse automation—with impressive results. Facing a growing volume of orders, a wide SKU range, and tight delivery deadlines across thousands … Continued
Brightpick, a leader in AI-powered robotic solutions for warehouses, has partnered with Thistle Systems, one of the UK’s leading integrators of automated storage solutions, to expand access to its end-to-end robotic fulfilment platform across the UK. As warehouses in the UK face growing pressure from labour shortages, rising costs, and limited floor space, many companies … Continued
Brightpick’s automated order picking solution is a transformative technology, which is helping warehouses streamline operations, reduce labour dependency, and scale with ease. In the evolving world of logistics and e-commerce, businesses are under increasing pressure to deliver faster, more accurately, and at lower costs. If you’re exploring how to futureproof your fulfilment process, this quick … Continued
Warehouse automation was once seen as an ambitious, almost utopian concept. However, with advancements in technology, innovative solutions like Thistle Systems’ AUTOCUBE® are making automation more accessible than ever. Businesses now have the opportunity to implement future-proofed systems that can transition from manual to semi-automated or fully automated operations, unlocking new efficiencies and competitive advantages. … Continued
Chemical and pharmaceutical warehousing in the UK operates under rigorous regulatory and safety expectations. ATEX zoning, COMAH obligations, segregation requirements, validation protocols, audit trails, and, alongside that, the commercial pressure to increase capacity, improve throughput, and reduce operating costs. Thistle Systems is one of the UK’s leading warehouse automation integrators, delivering advanced warehouse automation for … Continued
Welcome to the third part of our series on the myths associated with Automated Racking and Automated Storage Solutions. We have already discussed the myths surrounding the costs of automated storage solutions and automated storage being seen to be only suitable for large warehouses and large cold stores. One of the biggest concerns we get … Continued
The growing interest in automated storage has accelerated rapidly over the last 12 months. However, too many companies have either quickly dismissed or not even considered the concept, believing the myth that Automated Racking is Too Expensive. At Thistle Systems, we have been developing a range of semi-automated and automated storage solutions for the last … Continued
Do You Have A Capacity Issue or a Utilisation Issue in Your Warehouse? Storage capacity is often seen as the primary focus for many companies as they look at ways to improve their operations. However, it can be quite misleading when it comes to operational effectiveness and efficiency. The total storage capacity of a warehouse … Continued
AUTOMATED RACKING MYTH BUSTING NUMBER 1: Most people accept and understand the general concept of automated racking systems and the significant operational benefits it can deliver.However, there is a general misconception that automated racking and storage are only suitable for larger warehouses and cold stores. The truth is the viable size of automated storage isn’t … Continued
A quick analysis will show that many companies find approximately 80% of their sales are generated by approximately 20% of their SKUs. Now, whilst this may be beneficial for the sales teams, it can cause a number of challenges in the warehouse to achieve the perfect balance of space and picking speed. Some warehouse managers … Continued
Automated Cold Storage is one of the hot topics in the food and drink sector as companies look to improve efficiency and reduce costs in their cold store warehouses. The increase in energy and running costs is presenting operators and food companies with complex challenges which may be restricting growth, profitability, and service. To remain … Continued
The demands being placed on finished goods and dry goods warehouses in today’s market have changed dramatically from those they faced 10 or 20 years ago. Warehouse Managers are facing the challenge of a seemingly never-ending increase in SKUs, growing capacity requirements and an increasingly demanding marketplace who want your warehouse to be more responsive … Continued
The massive changes in the economy and the significant developments in automation, robots and technology is challenging businesses to think differently and effectively to achieve a step change in their operations. Whilst senior managers and boards of directors are looking at incremental changes to improve capacity through improved design and dynamic systems such as push … Continued
The construction and operating costs of a cold storage warehouse (or cold room) are such that the need to Max the Cube by maximise storage capacity in the minimum floor area with a cold store racking system, is absolutely essential. With technology moving on at a pace, the ability to consider dynamic and semi-automated storage … Continued
The spiralling energy costs are forcing businesses to take decisive action on their warehouse operations which could have a massive impact on the industry. With energy typically accounting for 15% of overall warehouse costs and reports of up to 400% increases in the coming months, many businesses are now looking at every opportunity to consolidate … Continued
If you look around your warehouse and seeing lots of half or part pallets on your standard pallet racking or you buy product by the pallet layer, you will absolutely want to read this Depending on the percentage of part pallets you have and the height of your warehouse, you may be able to reduce … Continued
The demands being placed on distribution centres are at an all-time high as customers demand even shorter lead times, with many companies being forced to offer next day or even same day delivery service just to compete. Much of this is being driven by the continued growth in internet sales which reached an all-time high … Continued
The Push back racking system is probably one of the most flexible dynamic pallet racking solutions on the market today. Not only can it deliver high-density storage solutions, but our Maxi Cube Push Back Racking can also dramatically improve picking speeds and space utilisation, which can significantly reduce operational costs. Below, we explain a few … Continued
Mezzanine floors are often seen as being one of the most effective solutions for creating additional floor space without having to extend or rent new premises. However, the term mezzanine floor is often mis-used and as a result, we see companies ending up paying too much for an over-engineered solution that they don’t really need. … Continued
As more and more companies look to Max the Cube by maximising capacity and improving the space utilisation of every inch of the warehouse, the demand for Thistle Systems Maxicube Shuttle Racking, or radio shuttle racking as it is sometimes referred to, is increasing dramatically. What Is Shuttle Racking Shuttle racking uses a combination of … Continued
Have you considered how much money you spend every year stocking and retrieving pallets from your warehouse? The cost of forklift trucks and drivers is a sizable element of any warehouse operation but is often overlooked when deciding on the optimum racking solution. And whilst drive-in racking is seen by many companies as an excellent … Continued
The exponential growth of SKUs is a challenge facing many warehouse managers and none more so than those operating within the wholesale market. The challenge is further compounded by customers looking for greater flexibility in ordering, resulting in more mixed pallets being created and, as a result, more broken/split/half pallets needing to be stored. The … Continued
One of the most common questions we get asked is, “Can You Explain How Much Mezzanine Flooring Costs?” That’s because mezzanine floors are seen as one of the most effective solutions for creating additional floor space without having to extend or rent new premises – check out a selection of our mezzanine floor case studies. … Continued
The challenge in warehouse automation is the ability of the software system to get the right pallet to the right place at the right time to enable the despatch area to meet their KPIs. Get this right and the potential Return on Investment can be enormous, however doing so requires a synchronised co-ordination of the … Continued
Drive-in racking is a firm favourite when it comes to high-density racking solutions, especially in distribution centres and cold stores where maximising capacity is a key driver. However, like every industrial racking system, drive-in pallet racking isn’t perfect and doesn’t suit every project. So whilst drive-in racking may appear to be a cheaper investment, the … Continued
Block stacking in your warehouse is generally perceived as the cheapest approach to storing your products, and you would be forgiven for agreeing. Yes, it requires zero investment in racking systems, and the only piece of equipment needed is a forklift truck. However, many smart companies focused on safety are recognising what is perceived … Continued
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the anticipated future growth and demands on fulfilment centres which have been driven by the dramatic growth of internet sales. This has resulted in a growing interest in automated storage solutions and goods to person systems which can deliver major improvements in efficiency and costs savings … Continued
© 2026 Thistle Systems
© 2026 Thistle Systems
