Remodelling of the Makro Barajas Cash&Carry Centre

Makro is the leading Spanish wholesale distribution chain for the catering industry, with a workforce of 3,400 employees. From its 38 centres distributed throughout the country, it offers 40,000 product references to its more than 900,000 registered clients. It is a subsidiary of the German Metro group, the largest wholesale company in the world.

Need

One of the objectives of the company’s business plan was to renew the first Makro centre to open its doors, in Madrid in 1972.

The centre’s remodelling plan had to be implemented without interrupting Makro Barajas’ service to its clients on any day. To do this, a building was erected in the former centre’s car park, where the works took place to condition and fit out the new building with racking to store and display the products. Meanwhile, the former building continued with its usual commercial activity.

Solution

18 double rows of conventional pallet racking were installed with lower levels for picking, so that the same rack could be used for pallet storage on the upper levels, and at the same time buyers can conveniently access the products they require on the lower racks. Miniracks were additionally installed and product exhibition tables in the fruit and wine cellar zone.

To cover all of Makro’s project requirements, the following accessories were also included:

• Special beams for the installation of luminaires.
• Perforated metal racking for improved hygiene and ease of cleaning.
• Supporting crossbars for correct placement of the pallets.
• Pallet stops and backstops on the lower racks.
• Protective rear meshes.
• Floor beam guards to protect the first load level.

Challenge

Fitting out a Cash&Carry centre requires a design and conditioning of the warehouse-store concept. In a displayed product warehouse, special attention needs to be paid to the aesthetic finish versus in interior warehouses. In this case, all the racks were painted light grey, except in the fruit&veg zone, where they were painted green. A special type of beam was also provided for the installation of luminaires and displays to improve product presentation to the buyer.

Warehouse safety is intrinsic to every POLYPAL project, but it is true that in conventional warehouses, employees are trained in warehouse safety, whereas in Cash&Carry centres the buyers walk through the warehouse-store and do not necessarily have the required safety awareness. For this reason, POLYPAL, together with Makro, designed and installed safety measures on the racking, such as floor guards, backstops, mesh protectors, frame guards, upright protectors, etc.

Technical data sheet

• Food and non-food product storage on pallets and racks.
• Surface with racking: 3,000 m2.
• Mixed palletisation and picking racks.
• Minirack
• Product display tables
• 18 double rows of pallet racking
• Each row consists of 7 modules of 5,600 x2,700×750 mm with 3 palletised levels and up to 5 picking levels.
• Pallet capacity: 2,000 locations

Makro always relies on POLYPAL so you will find our storage systems installed in the 34 Makro centres distributed throughout the country.