Oriola Oyj : improves the efficiency and sustainability of its e-commerce in Sweden

E-commerce is growing fast in Sweden, and during 2020 our pharmacy chain Kronans Apotek grew its e-commerce by 85%. Kronans Apotek's online shop offers an extensive product range for consumers with over 16,000 products. To increase the efficiency of the packaging line in a sustainable way, we have invested in automated packaging machines that also automatically adjust the size of the parcel based on products in the order.

"Extra packaging and larger parcels affect packaging and shipping costs. In addition, the large amount of air in the parcels is not environmentally friendly. The automation of our packaging line improves production efficiency, increases capacity and enhances the customer experience as we reduce both air and filling materials in the parcels," says Hannes Hasselrot, Interim Chief Operating Officer, Business Area Consumer.

The new packaging machines entered use in October and can handle up to 1,600 orders per hour. With automatically adjusted packaging sizes, the delivered parcels are smaller which decreases material waste and reduces both air and filling materials in the packages by up to 30%. The packaging materials are recyclable and have the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label.

This initiative continues our investments to e-commerce business growth. In September 2021, Oriola announced it will invest in a new warehouse specifically to increase e-commerce capacity in Sweden. The automated packaging machines will be transferred to the new warehouse when it will be ready during the second half of 2022.