RX capacity doubled
apo.com Group expands its technological leadership in pharmaceutical logistics and automation
In the third quarter of 2025, the apo.com Group more than doubled its sales of prescription products (RX) compared to the previous year. To meet this rapidly growing demand, the company recently commissioned two new warehousing and order picking systems, thereby increasing its capacity for prescription products by 100 percent.
This completes the first phase of the planned quadrupling of total capacity by 2029 at the Duiven site in the Netherlands – from the current 25,000 to over 100,000 orders per day. The aim of the investments is to expand market leadership in pharmaceutical logistics and automation and to lay the foundation for further growth. Across its two logistics sites in Duiven and Leipzig, the apo.com Group currently ships up to 52,000 parcels per day for customers of its online pharmacy brands, including apodiscounter and apo.com.
Degree of automation rises to 98.5 percent
With the current doubling of our capacities in the RX area, focusing on the growing e-prescription business, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth and guaranteeing millions of patients fast, safe, and efficient care.
Dr. Oliver Scheel, CEO at apo.com Group
The new high-performance machines from Knapp enable the fully automated picking of 20,000 additional packages per day. Already today, around 95 percent of all picks are handled automatically; by 2029, this figure is expected to rise to 98.5 percent. The key to this is a combination of proprietary software for the flexible integration of different robotics manufacturers, innovative automation concepts, and a novel multi-stage picking system.
New picking system with scaling potential
The innovative picking system is to be introduced by 2027 and will enable the company to handle over 100,000 orders per day. Thanks to its modular design, it can be expanded in a space-saving manner and scaled almost indefinitely – a decisive lever for responding quickly to rising market volumes.
A recent milestone underscores the effectiveness of this approach: Last week, the apo.com Group celebrated its 50 millionth AI-based picking at its logistics center in Duiven. These were carried out fully automatically by 17 AI-based picking cell robots from RightHand Robotics. This makes the apo.com Group one of the world’s leading users of AI-based picking cells.
With our fully automated process chain – from goods receipt to final pharmaceutical inspection – we combine maximum safety with maximum efficiency. This gives us a clear competitive advantage, especially since the setup is scalable as needed.
Daniel Mühl, COO at apo.com Group
Proprietary system for fully automated RX control
One example of the automation concepts developed in-house is a validated, fully automated solution for processing e-prescription orders. The system features a patented 360° camera setup that automatically compares the drug packaging, patient label, and customer order, complementing manual pharmaceutical checks to ensure maximum pharmaceutical safety. This system illustrates how digital innovations can make patient care even safer and more efficient.
