A 50,000 sq ft operation with fast-moving ranges
As one of the UK’s leading tabletop gaming and hobby retailers, Wayland Games has built its reputation on offering an extensive range of products to a passionate and fast-moving customer base.
Operating from a 50,000 sq ft warehouse in Brentwood, the business manages thousands of products across highly seasonal and rapidly changing ranges including Warhammer 40,000, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons and Lego.
With customer demand continuing to grow and order volumes rising during major launches and peak seasonal periods, Wayland Games recognised the need to strengthen its fulfilment operation and create a more efficient, scalable workflow.
The challenge
Before automation, Wayland Games relied heavily on manual processes throughout its fulfilment operation. Orders were picked, packed and labelled by hand, and products were moved manually from the mezzanine floor down to the despatch area.
As order volumes increased, maintaining pick accuracy, processing orders efficiently and moving products quickly through the warehouse all became more difficult. The movement of operators between areas added handling time and introduced further health and safety considerations.
Wayland Games wanted a full automation solution covering picking and the transport of products through the warehouse.
Our approach
Wayland Games partnered with CSL Automation to develop a solution tailored to their operation. Drawing on experience from similar projects, we evaluated multiple concepts before designing a system that removed the key bottlenecks, improved efficiency and provided a platform for future growth.
What the system includes
- A fully integrated powered conveyor system linking mezzanine picking, packing and despatch
- 150 metres of Interroll powered roller conveyor, transporting picked totes automatically through the warehouse
- Two reversible Ambaflex spiral conveyors
- Dual-stacked conveyor lines for efficient empty tote return, with built-in system redundancy
The result
The impact has been immediate. Orders now move through the warehouse faster and more efficiently, reducing processing times while improving order accuracy and workflow consistency. The automated movement of totes has removed one of the site’s key operational bottlenecks and created a safer working environment by dramatically reducing unnecessary operator movement between levels.
- Reduced manual handling through a continuous, automated product flow
- Increased operational resilience, allowing the operation to continue during maintenance
- Improved order processing speed, accuracy and workflow consistency
- A major warehouse bottleneck eliminated through automated tote movement
- Enhanced workplace safety by significantly reducing operator movement between levels
Ongoing support through ConveyorCare
A key part of the partnership is the ongoing support and optimisation of the operation through our ConveyorCare programme. Designed to maximise system performance, reduce downtime and extend asset life, ConveyorCare provides a proactive maintenance strategy that matters in a high-volume fulfilment environment.
The programme combines electrical and mechanical servicing with preventative maintenance to identify and resolve potential issues before they affect operations. By monitoring system performance and scheduling planned interventions, we help maintain reliable conveyor performance and support throughput through peak periods.
Alongside planned maintenance, we provide rapid-response breakdown support and expert spare parts management, including guidance on critical stock holdings, sourcing and replacement. That means Wayland Games’ automated systems stay reliable, letting the business focus on customer service while retaining the flexibility to scale with demand.
