Australia’s largest online pet retailer, Pet Circle, has partnered with Manhattan Associates Inc. to modernise its national fulfilment network, improving operational efficiency, delivery performance and its ability to support continued ecommerce growth.
The retailer has implemented Manhattan’s warehouse management system (WMS) across its Australian fulfilment network, creating a foundation for greater warehouse automation and more efficient order processing as customer demand continues to grow.
As a 100% ecommerce business, Pet Circle had relied on a bespoke warehouse management system for more than 13 years. While the platform had supported the retailer’s early growth, increasing order volumes and manual warehouse processes were making it more challenging to scale operations and maintain delivery performance during busy trading periods.
To address these challenges, Pet Circle selected Manhattan WMS to support its long-term growth strategy and plans for further automation. Manhattan Associates’ local implementation team worked closely with the retailer to configure the solution around its operational requirements.
The rollout began at Pet Circle’s Sydney fulfilment centre before expanding to facilities in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, creating more consistent warehouse processes across its national network.
Following the initial implementation, Pet Circle introduced autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated packing systems, and conveyor and sortation technology, with Manhattan WMS providing the platform to connect these technologies across its fulfilment operations.
Andrew Haverfield, Head of Innovation Supply Chain at Pet Circle, said the move to Manhattan WMS was driven by the company’s long-term growth strategy.
“As a fast-growing ecommerce business, we needed a warehouse management platform that could grow with us. Our previous system had served us well for many years, but we’d reached the point where manual processes were making it harder to keep pace with increasing demand and deliver the level of service our customers expect,” Haverfield explained. “Manhattan WMS has given us a modern foundation for our fulfilment network. We’ve been able to standardise processes across our sites, introduce warehouse automation and better manage peak trading periods, while creating a platform that can continue to evolve alongside our business.”
Since implementing the technology, Pet Circle has reduced its reliance on manual warehouse processes, improved operational consistency and strengthened its ability to manage peak shopping periods.
During the last Black Friday sales event, the retailer maintained same-day and next-day delivery services throughout almost the entire peak period. This represented a significant improvement on previous years, when high order volumes could disrupt fulfilment operations for one to two weeks after the event.
The technology has also provided Pet Circle with greater visibility across its warehouse operations, helping teams identify and resolve issues faster, improve processes and make more informed operational decisions.
Raghav Sibal, Vice President APAC at Manhattan Associates, said modern fulfilment operations require technology that can continually evolve alongside the business.
“To support today’s speed of operations, retailers need a flexible platform that can integrate automation, unlock greater operational visibility and continuously adapt as customer expectations evolve,” said Sibal. “Pet Circle’s transformation demonstrates how the right technology foundation can help businesses improve fulfilment performance today while supporting long-term growth and innovation.”
Looking ahead, Pet Circle plans to continue refining its national fulfilment operations and exploring further automation opportunities to support future growth and meet evolving customer expectations.
