South Korean health and beauty retailer Olive Young has implemented a new automated robotic system to streamline its distribution operations from Libiao Robotics.
The system was deployed at the company’s newly established 355,210ft² centre in the Gyeonggi Province. The upgrade is designed to meet the increasing demand for K-beauty products, as Olive Young expands both its physical store network and online marketplace.
The distribution centre, operational since September 2024, consolidates Olive Young’s inventory management, which was previously spread across three different sites.
The single-layer facility serves as a hub for both national and export online orders and supplies the retailer’s extensive network of more than 1,300 stores, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area. This setup allows Olive Young to offer same-day delivery to customers in the region, improving service speed and order fulfilment.
At the heart of the new centre is the T-Sort robotic sorting system, which uses 320 autonomous robots to efficiently collect and organise items.
The robots work in conjunction with 32 workstations to prepare orders for dispatch. The system is capable of processing up to 2,190 orders per hour, handling delicate beauty products.
The T-Sort system occupies just 4,951ft², optimises warehouse space, leaving room for other value-added operations. The system is also engineered for a quieter work environment, operating at a noise level of 72 dB or less, ensuring a comfortable atmosphere for warehouse staff. This aligns with Olive Young’s commitment to ethical business practices and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Additionally, the T-Sort system’s scalable design enables the facility to accommodate fluctuations in order volume, such as those seen during major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The system can easily be adjusted to handle increased demand by adding or removing robots without the need for infrastructural changes.
The deployment of this advanced robotic technology marks a significant milestone for Olive Young as it continues to capitalise on the growing K-beauty trend while improving operational efficiency and customer service.
Ronan Shen, Libiao Robotics’ global head of business, said: “This Libiao T-Sort installation at Olive Young represents a significant landmark in Libiao’s history, as it is the largest installation so far in South Korea.
“When Olive Young saw a chance to grow its business along with the increased global interest in K-beauty products, it was careful to choose a robotics partner that matches its vision, has rock-solid tried-and-tested systems, and enables future expansion without the associated infrastructural costs that come with rival systems.”
