Warehouse Robotics Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, and Services), by Type (Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Articulated Robots, Collaborative Robots, Cylindrical & SCARA Robots, and Others), by Payload Capacity (Less Than 20 Kg, 20–100 Kg, 100–200 Kg, and More Than 200 Kg), by Application, (Palletizing & Depalletizing, Sorting & Packaging, Picking & Placing, and Transportation), by Industry Vertical (E-commerce, Automotive & Transportation, Foods & Beverages, Chemical, Rubber, & Plastics, Healthcare, Electrical & Electronics, and Others) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2024–2030

Warehouse Robotics Market Overview:

The global Warehouse Robotics Market size was valued at USD 7.19 billion in 2023, and is predicted to reach USD 15.67 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 11.0% from 2024 to 2030. In terms of volume, the market size was 170057 units in 2023, and is projected to reach 462969 units by 2030, with a CAGR of 14.50% from 2024 to 2030.

Warehouse robots are autonomous or semi-autonomous machines designed to perform various tasks within a warehouse or distribution center. These robots are equipped with sensors, cameras, and advanced navigation systems to navigate the warehouse environment, interact with inventory, and carry out tasks efficiently. Warehouse robots can perform a variety of tasks, including material handling, order fulfillment, inventory management, palletizing and depalletizing, sorting, cleaning and maintenance, and security.

Warehouse robots offer various advantages, including enhanced efficiency, productivity, and accuracy. These robots can operate around the clock and execute repetitive tasks at a significantly faster pace than humans, resulting in a substantial boost in operational efficiency. Additionally, they contribute to cost reduction by minimizing errors and automating labor-intensive operations in various industries.

The growing labor shortage in warehousing acts a major driver for the market.

The growing labor shortage in the warehousing industry serves as a major catalyst for the market. This scarcity of human labor has led to a significant increase in the adoption of warehouse robots globally. According to a report by McKinsey & Co, it is projected that the worldwide workforce will encounter a deficit of 85 million workers by 2030. This shortage is anticipated due to factors such as aging populations, shifting demographics, and skill deficiencies. With the declining availability of human workers and rising labor costs, industries are increasingly embracing automation solutions to fulfill their operational requirements.

Automation solutions can help industries to address both the labor shortage and rising labor costs. Major warehouse operations such as material handling, order fulfillment, and inventory management can be automated using warehouse robotics, which can reduce the reliance on human labor. This can in turn help industries to meet their operational requirements and improve their production with minimal labor involvement.

Expansion in the e-commerce sector drives the market growth

The growth of the market is significantly boosted by the expansion in the e-commerce sector. E-commerce businesses are increasingly turning to warehouse robots to enhance and simplify their storage and order fulfillment processes. The utilization of robots in warehouses offers several advantages, including heightened efficiency, accuracy, and speed when it comes to picking and packing orders. This also results in reduced labor costs and greater scalability. Ultimately, warehouse robots empower e-commerce companies to efficiently manage large order volumes with minimal errors, thereby increasing their overall productivity. These benefits are crucial in meeting the ever-increasing demands of the fast-paced and rapidly expanding e-commerce industry. Warehouse robots allow e-commerce companies to handle high volumes of orders with minimum error and increase overall productivity. These factors help them meet demands from the fast-paced and rapidly growing e-commerce industry.

For instance, in November 2022, Amazon introduced a warehouse robot called Sparrow, that can detect, select, and handle individual products in their inventory. Sparrow is the first robotic system in Amazon's warehouses that can handle millions of diverse products, and it represents a major advancement in the state-of-the-art technology of industrial robotics. The robot uses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize and handle millions of items, and it can move items before packaging, relieving employees of repetitive tasks and making the fulfillment process more efficient.

Interoperability issues associated with warehouse robotics restrains the market growth.

Interoperability issues are one of the major obstacles in the robotics industry, hindering the growth of the warehouse robot’s market. These issues refer to the ability of different robotic systems, devices, and software to work seamlessly together and communicate effectively.

Warehouse robotics consist of various types of robots, including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robotic arms, and other robots. These robots might come from different manufacturers and use different communication protocols, posing a challenge for them to collaborate efficiently. Additionally, several warehouses have pre-existing infrastructure, such as warehouse management systems (WMS), inventory management software, and conveyor systems. Integrating new robotic systems with these legacy systems is complex and may require custom solutions, which are expensive and time-consuming. These factors are hampering the adoption of warehouse robots for small-scale businesses and, in turn, acting as a restraint for the market.

The introduction of customized AMRs creates ample opportunities for the market.

The introduction of custom Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) represents a significant opportunity for the warehouse robotics market. Contrary to the traditional solutions, custom AMRs are tailored to meet the unique needs of individual warehouses, offering enhanced flexibility, efficiency, and adaptability. These specialized robots can be optimized for specific tasks, layouts, and workflows, in turn increasing productivity and reducing operational costs.

North America is projected to hold the largest share of the warehouse robotics market

The growth of the warehouse robotics market in the North America region is driven by the significant presence of various industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and automotive, that heavily utilize robotics technology in their manufacturing and warehousing processes. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), as of 2021, there were approximately 310,700 operational industrial robots in the U.S. Such high adoption of robots by industries in this region is driving the growth of the warehouse robotics market.

Moreover, presence of leading market players such as Locus Robotics, Amazon, 6 River Systems, and regional players such as Agility Robotics that are expanding their business across the region is further boosting the growth of the market. For instance, in September 2022, Agility Robotics announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Oregon, US. This new facility will be able to produce more than 10,000 humanoid robots a year which are specifically designed for warehouse operations.

Europe witnessed a substantial growth in the global warehouse robotics market.

Europe is expected to show a steady growth in the warehouse robotics market, owing to increasing labor shortage in the region. European countries are grappling with labor shortages, particularly in industries such as logistics and warehousing due to a declining workforce and evolving labor dynamics. According to a study by European labor authority in 2022, it was found that 29 countries in Europe face labour shortage in various industries including manufacturing and warehousing. Such factors have influenced the adoption of warehouse robot in the country, in turn driving the growth of the market.

Furthermore, the presence of key market players such as ABB, KUKA AG, KION Group AG, and KNAPP AG further drives the growth of the market. These warehouse robot manufacturers have undertaken rigorous research and development activities, and are launching numerous products that further increase the adoption of warehouse robots in Europe. For instance, in May 2022, ABB launched a robotics depalletizer for handling complex depalletizing tasks in logistics, e-commerce, healthcare, and consumer packaged-goods industries.

Competitive Landscape

Various market players operating in the warehouse robotics market include KION Group, Honeywell International, Inc., Omron, Daifuku, Media Group (Kuka Ag and Swisslog), ABB, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Fanuc Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, and Locus Robotics. These market players are adopting several strategies, such as product launches and partnerships, across various regions to maintain their dominance in the warehouse robotics market.

For instance, in March 2023, Honeywell International announced that the company will showcase its latest warehouse and logistics innovations in a global event called ProMat 2023. This exposure is expected to attract potential customers, collaboration opportunities. and investors, in turn increasing the market reach of the company.

Moreover, in March 2023, the KION Group entered into a strategic partnership with Li-Cycle Holdings Corp to achieve environmentally friendly recycling of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in KION Group's products, including their warehouse robots.

Furthermore, in December 2022, ABB launched the "ABB SWIFT CRB 1300" cobot for automating tasks such as palletizing, pick-and-place, and others in warehouses. Through this launch, ABB customers can use robotic automation for improving their processes by making them more efficient, flexible, and resilient than before. This will help them counter labor shortages and enable their employees to perform core business activities.

Warehouse Robotics Market Key Segments

By Offering

• Hardware

• Software 

• Services

By Type

• Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs)

• Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)

• Articulated Robots

• Collaborative robots 

• Cylindrical and SCARA robots

• Other Types

By Payload capacity 

• Less than 20 Kg

• 20–100 kg

• 100–200 kg

• More Than 200 Kg

By Application

• Palletizing and Depalletizing

• Sorting and Packaging

• Picking and Placing

• Transportation

By Industry vertical

• E-commerce

• Automotive & Transportation

• Food & Beverages

• Chemical, Rubber, and Plastics

• Healthcare

• Electrical & Electronics

• Others

By Region

• North America

  • The U.S.

  • Canada

  • Mexico

• Europe

  • The U.K.

  • Germany

  • France

  • Italy

  • Spain

  • Denmark

  • Netherlands

  • Finland

  • Sweden

  • Norway

  • Russia

  • Rest of Europe

• Asia-Pacific

  • China

  • Japan

  • India

  • South Korea

  • Australia

  • Indonesia

  • Singapore

  • Taiwan

  • Thailand

  • Rest of Asia-Pacific

• RoW

  • Latin America

  • Middle East

  • Africa

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