Thalia Germany Commissions EUR 100 Million Omnichannel Logistics Center

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 2, German book retailer Thalia officially opened its omnichannel logistics center in the Marl gate.ruhr industrial park in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project represents a total investment of approximately EUR 100 million, with a building area of about 56,000 square meters. From the start of construction in December 2024 to its official opening in less than two years, the facility has now entered the operational ramp-up phase.

The core of the new center is an AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system implemented by Element Logic, equipped with 530 robots and 280,000 bin storage locations, capable of storing and dispatching up to approximately 10 million items. In addition to the automated system, the site also includes manual handling areas, fulfillment operation areas, and other production process spaces to accommodate goods of different specifications and handling methods.

The center will handle fulfillment and distribution tasks for Thalia's online orders, physical bookstores, and specialty toy stores, creating centralized warehousing and order processing capabilities for a multi-channel sales system. Once the project reaches full capacity, it plans to provide up to 1,000 jobs.

The project was developed and implemented by ECE Work & Live, which was renamed ParkProperty Europe as of March 2026, with Goldbeck serving as general contractor. The project completed its structural topping-out in June 2025, began operational ramp-up in early 2026, and entered its official opening phase in October.

In addition to the warehouse and production buildings, the logistics park also includes a multi-story office building, an on-site restaurant, approximately 500 parking spaces, and 200 covered bicycle parking spaces. The building is heated by a heat pump system and features rooftop and facade greening, rainwater management, and biodiversity-related facilities.