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Logistics heavy hitter DHL Supply Chain is rolling out Locus Robotics’ autonomous mobile robots across its global network of warehouses and distribution centers, the companies tell Kimberly.

Why it matters: Many parts of the supply chain still move products manually, so digitizing these processes has been a focal point for many logistics providers — especially to help with labor challenges.

Plus, e-commerce sales have exploded over the past few years with more volume going through distribution networks.

The demand for speedier delivery, such as same-day or next-day, is a factor as well.

Details: Some 5,000 Locus robots will be deployed across DHL’s facilities in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

It takes little capital upfront and a matter of weeks to get its robots-as-a-service model up and running at warehouses, Locus Robotics CEO Rick Faulk says.

The robots support DHL’s e-commerce fulfillment, retail replenishment, and pharmaceutical and health care logistics.

Back in November, Locus Robotics raised $117 million in Series F funding led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners.

The big picture: Solutions that address the labor shortage issue like automation and artificial intelligence will drive the next wave of investment, industry insiders say.

Automation “is the only way to move forward” to address the labor challenges, DHL information chief Sally Miller says.

Despite a tight labor market, it’s difficult to find workers to fill positions and retain them.

Automation helps reduce the need for so many workers, she says, and it also enables the company to create higher-skilled and more meaningful positions.

Catch up fast: DHL has around 1,400 sites globally, and it expects Locus’ robots to cover “a fair number of those," Miller says.

The robots are “a differentiator for us. It helps our operations be more efficient," she adds.

Zoom in: Locus Robotics can double the number of units picked within an hour, Faulk says, adding, “A lot of facilities are able to ship significantly more volume."

Editor's note: This story has been corrected with the DHL information chief's name, Sally Miller.

1 big thing: DHL to add thousands of autonomous robots 

Vitamin Shoppe parent Franchise Group has agreed to go private in a $2.6 billion management buyout led by CEO Brian Kahn and members of the senior management team.

Why it's the BFD: Taking Franchise Group private will help the company make strategic moves, free of public market scrutiny (and turbulence), Kimberly writes.

Details:  The consortium has received "definitive financing commitments" from third-party lenders and institutional investors, including B. Riley Financial Inc. and Irradiant Partners, that will help "finance a portion of the purchase price."

The group will acquire about 64% of the company that the management group doesn’t currently own.

The price tag, which will give shareholders $30 a share in cash, also includes the company’s net debt and outstanding preferred stock.

This was a more than 30% premium over the company’s stock on March 17, when the company had announced an unsolicited proposal was in play.

The intrigue: This is the second time B. Riley has stepped in for a big retailer this year, the first being Bed Bath and Beyond.

Context: Khan, Vintage Capital Management and its affiliates own about 40.2% of the company’s shares, according to its latest annual report.

What they’re saying: “We are excited to have this opportunity to continue our business strategy of partnering with high quality franchisees, operators and financial institutions, while also delivering certain value to our public stockholders despite a challenging business environment,” Khan said in a statement.

The transaction is expected to close later this year.

2. The BFD: Franchise Group's $2.6B management buyout

⚠️ ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent, is stalling the launch of its shopping platform in the U.S. after failing to get critical mass from the retail community, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Merchants have been concerned over the video-sharing app’s future as it faces a possible ban and a lukewarm reception to live commerce in the U.S. to date.

The rollout will be pushed to June at the earliest, WSJ reports, citing sources familiar, instead of early spring as initially intended.

🎙️ A new podcast by Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom seeks to reach a new generation of customers, Axios' Christine Clarridge writes.

The Nordy Pod, launched last year, is hosted by Pete Nordstrom and features interviews and conversations with a range of individuals, from retail titans like Mickey Drexler, who turned Gap into a global brand, to athletes such as Sue Bird and Bob Love.

Nordstrom has been an integral part of Seattle's landscape since John Nordstrom, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in America with $5 in his pocket, went into the shoe business with a friend and opened Wallin and Nordstrom in Seattle in 1901. 

3. Retail therapy

Illustration of a therapy couch with a pillow made of money.

• Macquarie Group is seeking a buyer for Ceres Terminals, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based port facilities operator that could fetch around $1b, per the WSJ. https://axios.link/3MbRLPA

🚑 Oura, a Finnish maker of sleep-tracking wearables valued by VCs at $2.55b, acquired Proxy, an SF-based digital identity signal startup whose backers include Scale Venture Partners, SVB, West Ventures, Kleiner Perkins and YC. https://axios.link/42k1BEV

• Ascend, a Seattle-based VC firm led by Kirby Winfield (ex-AdXpose/Comscore), raised $25m for a debut fund focused on pre-seed startups in the Pacific Northwest. https://axios.link/42BRyeF

• Sweets from the Earth, an all-natural vegan bakery, has acquired assets of Tutti Gourmet, a Quebec-based gluten-free biscotti maker. https://axios.link/42nplIi

4. Retail transactions

• Oatly, the oat milk maker, has named Jean-Christophe Flatin to succeed Toni Petersson as CEO, effective June 1. https://axios.link/3BafyJo

• BurgerFi International, the burger chain, said CEO Ian Baines is retiring in June. Additionally, the company said it has promoted John Iannucci, the COO of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza & Wings, to BurgerFi’s COO. https://axios.link/41lWjaK

• Denny’s has tapped Alex Williams as its senior vice president and COO. https://axios.link/3HYGHDc

• Florida Food Products, the food and beverages maker, has named Kevin Neat, who previously served as the CFO of Johnson & Johnson’s North American consumer health business, as its CFO. https://axios.link/42jSjIU

• Burberry has tapped McLaren Group CFO Kate Ferry to be its finance chief, succeeding Julie Brown, who the company announced in September will step down in April. https://www.burberryplc.com/

5. It's Personnel

Happy Wednesday, Retail readers — and greetings from San Francisco, where the mainstage portion of BFD kicks off at 2pm PT. Be sure to catch the livestream.

🙏🏻 Many thanks to newsletter editor Claire Rychlewski and copy editor Mickey Meece for today's edits.

May 10, 2023

1 big thing: DHL to add thousands of autonomous robots