acca international Improves Efficiency of PAL’s Distribution Warehouse with Exotec Skypod System

acca international Co. and Exotec Nihon Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Exotec SAS, announced that they have entered into a partnership agreement for the implementation and operation of the Skypod system.

Exotec’s Skypod System is an automated goods-to-person solution that uses robots moving goods between high-density storage and ergonomic stations.

The system significantly shortens fulfillment times by automating highly manual tasks like walking and lifting heavy objects. acca international, and Exotec will collaborate to deliver a solution that meets PAL’s warehousing and shipping needs.  

acca international will provide fulfillment services to a warehouse that has adopted the Skypod system, aiming to effectively manage a distribution warehouse for clothing, everyday items, and other products from PAL Co., ltd.

acca to support Skypod system customers

Tokyo-based acca international, a third-party logistics (3PL) company, said it supports the functioning of e-commerce clothing websites through a platform that employs cutting-edge technology to boost customer fulfillment efficiency.

PAL specializes in the design, production, and wholesale of over 50 brands of clothing and everyday items for younger consumers, operating an online shopping site known as PAL CLOSET.

The e-commerce factory provided by acca international manages roughly 30,750 stock-keeping units (as of May 2023), primarily for brands like Kastane, russet, and Ciaopanic.

It oversees warehouse management, and individual shipping for PAL CLOSET, among other operations.

More on collaboration

The company will collaborate with Exotec at DPL Hiratsuka, a logistics facility run by Daiwa House Industry (the parent company of acca international) to integrate the Skypod system to enhance fulfillment performance.

It will also manage PAL’s warehouse and shipping operations.

“We believe that the growth of our e-commerce business will be a major driver in increasing our corporate value, both now and in the future,” said Satoshi Hotta, managing executive officer at Exotec. “This is why optimization of our logistics network, which supports this growth, is a key part of our long-term strategy.  We believe that the the introduction of the Skypod system will support our further business expansion and help us deliver even better services to our customers.”

“The newly introduced Skypod system is a key element in achieving optimized e-commerce logistics through the use of innovative technology. In partnership with Exotec, acca international will design and provide optimal solution that will accompany the growth of PAL’s e-commerce,” Yoichi Hide, CEO, acca international Co., Ltd. “This partnership will also enable acca international to further build out its capabilities and and improve customer experiences.”

“The Skypod system consists of a vertically climbing robots, high-density racks, and ergonomic picking stations that provide an optimal fulfillment environment for efficient e-commerce,” said Ryu Tatewaki, managing director at Exotec Nihon Co., Ltd. “The system significantly improves both inbound and outbound speed and efficiency. It also streamlines order shipments and contributes to the reduction of truck waiting time, which has recently been highlighted as the 2024 problem.”

“We will collaborate with PAL, which owns many popular brands of apparel and convenience goods, and acca international, which manages PAL’s warehousing and shipping operations, to create an innovative logistics system that will help increase the corporate value of both companies,” Tatewaki added.