15 Minutes From Order to Shipping: How iHerb Serves 180 Countries With Same-Day Fulfillment

iHerb is an internet retailer serving 180 countries with 35,000 health and lifestyle products—vitamins, supplements, organic goods, natural makeup, and more. When they opened their second distribution center in Hebron, Kentucky (near the DHL air hub), they needed same-day fulfillment capability to compete globally. This case study shows how Perfect Pick ASRS processes 15,000-20,000 orders daily (80,000 items) with 15-minute order-to-shipping time and 1/10 the outbound labor of their California facility. The e-commerce challenge: • 35,000 different SKUs (vitamins, supplements, organic products, natural makeup, etc.) • 180 countries served (significant international customer base) • Need same-day shipping to compete • High accuracy required (health/wellness products) • Must process 15,000-20,000 orders daily (~80,000 items) The Perfect Pick solution:System configuration: • First-of-its-kind technology (at implementation) • 3 million items storage capacity • 10 aisles with continuous SKU reallocation • 20 goods-to-person stations (10 floor level, 10 upper level) • iBOts recharge continuously as they move • Totes divided into cells (4-8 SKUs per tote depending on item size) • Redundant SKU locations for speed and flexibility The unique inbound strategy: Unlike most facilities, iHerb does heavy packaging/prep on INBOUND (receiving). This front-loads the work but dramatically reduces outbound labor—to 1/10 of their California sister facility. The workflow: • Products arrive, receive heavy prep/packaging on inbound • Items placed in Perfect Pick totes (4-8 SKUs per tote) • Stored in 10-aisle system (up to 3 million items) • Orders processed in real-time (no batching) • Bastian Solutions Exacta WCS directs iBots to gather totes • iBOTs deliver to nearest of 20 stations (multi-level configuration) • Tote tilts forward for ergonomic access • Light projects from above showing which cell to pick • Screen shows product photo, description, quantity • Worker picks directly into shipping carton (4 cartons staged per station) • Put-to-light shows which carton receives each item • Carton moves to labeling, then shipping The 15-minute process: "From the time it's inducted into the system until the time it's at shipping, we can get an order through the system in about 15 minutes."Real-time processing, no batching, direct pick-to-ship = 15 minutes order-to-shipping. Operational outcomes: Speed - Same-Day Shipping: 15,000-20,000 orders daily, all processed same-day "Allows us to meet our same-day shipping goals and quick service to our customers" Volume: ~80,000 items picked daily across 15,000-20,000 orders Labor Efficiency: 1/10 the outbound labor compared to California facility Achieved through heavy inbound prep + Perfect Pick efficiency Order Accuracy: "The technology assures that orders are very accurate" Light guidance + photo confirmation + put-to-light = high accuracy Processing Speed: "Completed in one-tenth of the time needed to handle orders at iHerb's California facility" 10x faster order processing vs. sister facility Scalability strategy: • Can scale 15-30% by adding aisles to existing system • "Very easy to replicate and pop these up around the country" • Strategy to replicate system in other locations as they grow • Designed for US and international customer service expansion International e-commerce advantage: • Located near DHL air hub (Covington, KY) for international shipping • East Coast location serves domestic East Coast + international • 180 countries served from this facility • Same-day processing critical for competitive international e-commerce Technology features: • iBOTs move horizontally and vertically through aisles • Continuous recharging strips (no downtime) • Continuous SKU reallocation for optimal access • Redundant SKU locations (same product in multiple places for speed) • Multi-level station configuration (10 floor, 10 upper = denser footprint) • Direct pick into shipping cartons (no intermediate packing) Relevant if you're: • Health/wellness e-commerce operation • International e-commerce retailer (multi-country shipping) • High-SKU variety operation (35,000 SKUs) • Need same-day fulfillment capability • Processing 15,000-20,000+ orders daily • Looking for scalable, replicable fulfillment solution • Comparing labor efficiency across multiple facilities • Near air hub with international shipping focus Real international e-commerce. Real 15-minute order-to-shipping. Real 10x labor efficiency vs. sister facility.