Industry
Food & beverage
L.P. Distribuzione: insulated SILO² VLM for premium foodservice SKUs
- Food & Beverage
- SILO²
- Finished products
In the foodservice channel, a picking error means a high-value bottle delivered late or to the wrong place
In the distribution of premium SKUs for the foodservice channel, picking accuracy is a condition that directly shapes the service quality perceived by the end customer. Fine wines, champagne and high-value spirits require controlled storage conditions, precise traceability and a picking process with no room for error.
L.P. Distribuzione Bevande installed the SILO² multi-column Vertical Lift Module at its Aci Sant’Antonio facility, near Catania: an insulated structure for the proper storage of the most sensitive SKUs, integrated with the company management system for real-time stock visibility.
Product
SILO²
Key results
· error rate reduced from 1–2% to less than 0.2%
· 120 m² recovered
Key features
· insulated structure with 3 internal cooling units
· workstations with closing shutter
· integration with Stocksystem WMS and Zucchetti’s Bollicine ERP
L.P. Distribuzione Bevande: 50 years serving Sicily’s foodservice channel
Founded in 1974 and now led by the second generation of the Lo Presti family, L.P. Distribuzione Bevande is a reference player for the foodservice channel in the province of Catania and along Sicily’s Ionian coast.
With 50 employees, a Cash & Carry open 24/7 and over 4,000 SKUs, including around 1,500 spirits, more than 500 wine and sparkling wine labels, beers, soft drinks and food products, the company processes an average of 160 to 250 orders per day with a clear promise: delivery within 12 hours of receiving the order.
Since moving to the new Aci Sant’Antonio facility in 2022, the number of SKUs has doubled in less than two years. A broader assortment means greater complexity, especially in the premium range, where similar packaging across labels and vintages makes every picking error costly and immediately visible.
With 50 employees, a Cash & Carry open 24/7 and over 4,000 SKUs, including around 1,500 spirits, more than 500 wine and sparkling wine labels, beers, soft drinks and food products, the company processes an average of 160 to 250 orders per day with a clear promise: delivery within 12 hours of receiving the order.
Since moving to the new Aci Sant’Antonio facility in 2022, the number of SKUs has doubled in less than two years. A broader assortment means greater complexity, especially in the premium range, where similar packaging across labels and vintages makes every picking error costly and immediately visible.
The logistical challenges
Before SILO², low-turnover, high-value products such as fine wines, champagne, premium spirits and similar SKUs were managed on pallet racking occupying around 120 m² of floor space.
In a channel where the average value of a bottle exceeds 100 euros, customers remember every mistake. The quality of the logistics process is an integral part of service quality.
The critical issues were clear:
- Picking error rate between 1% and 2% on SKUs with similar packaging across different labels and vintages.
- High-value products exposed to dust and temperature fluctuations, affecting quality at delivery.
- Daily checks, corrections and rework slowing down the entire operational flow.
- Growing space absorbed by assortment expansion, without a structured storage system.
Insulated SILO² VLM: controlled storage for fine wines, champagne and spirits
The SILO² Vertical Lift Module is strategically positioned at the end of the picking route: the operator completes the round in the other warehouse areas and finishes the mission by accessing the VLM for high-value SKUs.
The storage system extends 7 meters in width and over 10 meters in height, with 3 storage columns and 2 side-by-side picking and refilling stations equipped with automatic closing shutters: 73 m³ in just 21 m² of system footprint, with capacity for 2,200 six-bottle cases and around 900 active SKUs at 70% saturation.
The insulated structure maintains a stable microclimate inside the VLM, an essential condition for fine wines, champagne and delicate spirits that require temperature-controlled storage throughout the entire storage period.
The storage system extends 7 meters in width and over 10 meters in height, with 3 storage columns and 2 side-by-side picking and refilling stations equipped with automatic closing shutters: 73 m³ in just 21 m² of system footprint, with capacity for 2,200 six-bottle cases and around 900 active SKUs at 70% saturation.
The insulated structure maintains a stable microclimate inside the VLM, an essential condition for fine wines, champagne and delicate spirits that require temperature-controlled storage throughout the entire storage period.
IRIDE, WMS and ERP integrated: guided picking with no ambiguity and FIFO/EDD rotation
IRIDE guides the operator with light beams directly to the correct SKU, eliminating visual ambiguity between products with similar packaging. A Brunello and a Chianti, or a Japanese and a Scotch single malt, cannot always be distinguished at a glance under operational pressure.
The system is integrated with Stocksystem WMS and Zucchetti’s Bollicine ERP: real-time visibility and traceability for every movement, with FIFO and EDD logic for correct SKU rotation and automatic expiry-date management. No intermediate manual flow between the operation and the management system.
The system is integrated with Stocksystem WMS and Zucchetti’s Bollicine ERP: real-time visibility and traceability for every movement, with FIFO and EDD logic for correct SKU rotation and automatic expiry-date management. No intermediate manual flow between the operation and the management system.
Key results
Fewer errors, more space, a premium positioning customers can see
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From 1–2% to less than 0.2% picking errors
2 errors out of 2,300 picks in the first 10 months, with returns, corrections and rework almost completely eliminated
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120 m² recovered and upgraded
traditional racking removed, with space dedicated to assortment expansion without compromising the operating layout
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Unambiguous picking on similar packaging
IRIDE guides the operator and eliminates confusion between similar labels, even under operational pressure
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Guaranteed microclimate for premium SKUs
insulation, cooling and closing shutters ensure optimal storage conditions for delicate products
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Delivery within 12 hours
promise kept even with over 250 orders per day during seasonal peaks
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Reputation strengthened
the warehouse becomes tangible proof of professionalism for customers visiting the facility
Since installing SILO² VLM, I have understood one thing: the way you handle a product says who you are. Our customers see it when they enter the warehouse. They see how we store a fine sparkling wine, an important bottle or a rare spirit, and nothing else needs to be said. If you say you sell quality, you have to prove it all the way through. Today, that storage system opens more doors for us than any brochure.
Discover the product chosen by L.P. Distribuzione Bevande
SILO²: the Vertical Lift Module
With 2 to 7 storage columns, over 120 tray size configurations and specific tray load bearing capacity up to 1,000 kg/m², SILO² is ICAM’s answer for companies managing small and medium-sized items, even those with a very high specific weight.
Explore SILO²
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