Skechers combines scale and resilience in new automated hub
Skechers is extending its European logistics infrastructure with a new automated distribution centre in Liège, Belgium. Developed with Knapp, the site will cover around 230,000 m² and include more than 3.3 million storage locations. The scale reflects a broader industrial shift: distribution facilities are increasingly being designed as connected systems rather than collections of standalone machines.
The centre will come online in stages through mid-2030. European shipments from the location are expected to start at the end of 2028, with the completed facility designed to process as many as 10 million pairs of shoes per month. The investment is intended to provide capacity for continued growth while reducing dependence on manual handling.
Digital control across the material flow
The project addresses capacity limits at Skechers’ existing European distribution centre in Milmort. Knapp’s architecture will connect goods-in and goods-out through a large Evo Shuttle system for carton storage, alongside shuttle equipment for replenishment and buffering. Goods-to-person stations, automated pallet storage, conveyors and sorting systems will complete the physical infrastructure.
KiSoft software will link these elements and provide operational visibility across the supply chain. It is also intended to accommodate different carton and product sizes, supporting flexibility as the product mix and order profile evolve. For industrial companies, this combination of dense storage, software coordination and modular material handling is significant because it can increase throughput without simply expanding the manual workforce or duplicating sites.
Resilience built into the operating model
Knapp’s role will extend beyond installation. A Smart Maintenance approach will combine predictive maintenance with a Resident Engineering team based at the facility. This creates a direct connection between equipment condition, service response and system availability.
The model is relevant to Industry 5.0 discussions because performance is paired with operational continuity and adaptable processes. Skechers’ centre is designed to scale, but its resilience will also depend on how effectively software, equipment and maintenance work together over the facility’s full lifecycle.
