GREENWOOD — With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, Amazon says it’s preparing for one of its busiest shopping periods of the year.
Workers at the same-day delivery site in Greenwood are prepping to process about a million orders as the holiday season approaches.
“This is like our Super Bowl,” said Andre Woodson, an Amazon spokesperson. “We prepare year-long to deliver for customers.”
How it works
Products enter the facility and are stored in bins moved by robotic systems designed to reduce repetitive motion for workers.
“The robotic technology eliminates a lot of redundancy and repetitive movements,” said Woodson. “It makes processes more safe and efficient.”
Robots bring items directly to employees for picking, further reducing unnecessary walking on the warehouse floor.
Once selected, items are packed, placed on a conveyor belt, and routed to drivers.
“And within a few hours, it’s at your doorstep,” said Woodson.
Holiday hot-ticket items
Amazon expects strong demand for some of the season’s biggest gift categories.
“We’re going to have millions of deals this year,” said Woodson, noting Barbie, Echo devices, Hot Wheels products and apparel as trending items. Some discounts could reach up to 50%.
Woodson explains how the company anticipates what shoppers will want and how they strategize where to store the inventory
“We use a forecasting team that is able to predict all season long what will be the most popular items,” said Woodson. “We’re able to allocate those items in different facilities.”
