Case Studies

Family Christian Stores

Company Overview

Family Christian Stores is the largest Christian retailer in the United States. The retail chain has over 320 stores. The retail chain offers a wide variety of Christian merchandise especially, but not limited to books and CDs. There are items offered for every different denomination of Christianity ranging all the way from Catholicism to Judaism. Christian items and church supplies are also sold over the internet through the company website. The corporate office is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Address:

5300 Patterson Avenue
Grand Rapids, MI 49530

Website:

www.familychristian.com

Implementation

Location: Kentwood, MI
Completion: November 2001
Broken case order selection, packing, and shipping system
Phase I of three-phase plan
80,000 sq. ft. facility
Order selection module, floor level with future second level
Bin shelving module, floor level with future second level
Order selection and packing conveyor system
Packing and quality assurance stations
Federal Express shipping lanes with trailer loaders
Pallet racking with approximately 2,400 locations

Client Quote:

We had a requirement to consolidate distribution from three less than optimum operations into one highly automated order selection facility. The challenge we presented to DPI was great. In essence we said, ‘We want to increase our SKU count, distribute a lot more of it faster and with a higher degree of accuracy. However,’ we added, ‘we want to do it from a much smaller location.’ DPI delivered with an innovative design that maximized cube utilization in a smaller footprint. The new system has helped us reach our objective of warehousing and distributing more SKU’s in a more productive and efficient fashion.

Doug Pope

Seaway Food Town
Division of Spartan Stores, Inc.