Urban Outfitters, Inc. is an innovative specialty retail company offering lifestyle merchandise to highly defined customer niches. Its brands, including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN, are compelling and distinct. Each brand focuses on a specific customer segment and builds sustainable points of distinction within that segment. Across its retail locations, the company designs immersive stores that resonate with its audience, cross merchandises hard and soft goods, and creates unique displays that incorporate found objects into creative selling environments. The emphasis is on creativity. The goal is to offer an assortment and environment so compelling that customers feel an emotional connection to the brand.

To support rapidly growing online sales, Urban Outfitters consolidated its North American internet distribution into a single 1.1 million square foot state of the art e commerce facility in Gap, Pennsylvania. The new distribution center was designed to respond faster and more efficiently to customer demand. Multiple levels of automated sorting and conveying systems were integrated alongside traditional shelving and storage systems to process orders quickly and effectively.

Urban Outfitters required a solution for hundreds of highly configurable workstations to support operations in the new facility. The team already had experience with Rousseau workbench systems at other distribution locations and valued the high quality, durability, and extensive range of configurable accessories. Based on past performance and reliability, Rousseau was selected again for this large scale project.

A site visit was conducted to assess operational requirements and define specifications. One of the first challenges was determining the optimal workstation configurations for specific tasks. Due to space constraints and ergonomic considerations, both mobile and standard pick and shipping workstations needed to be designed. Each workstation required access to necessary supplies, integrated power, and support for mounted electronic equipment. A variety of Rousseau accessories were incorporated to create efficient, task specific setups. In some cases, custom accessories were developed to meet specialized requirements. The final workstation configurations were functional, ergonomic, and visually aligned with the modern aesthetic of the new distribution center.

Another major challenge was coordinating the production, delivery, and installation of hundreds of customized workstations within a tight timeline. The project required multiple truckloads and careful scheduling to ensure all components arrived on time and were assembled in the correct areas of the expansive facility. Close coordination between teams ensured the installation proceeded smoothly and according to plan. Urban Outfitters appreciated the collaboration and seamless execution throughout the project.

The result was a highly successful implementation. By identifying operational challenges early and developing customized solutions focused on ergonomics, functionality, and efficiency, the new distribution center was equipped to meet growing e commerce demand while maintaining high standards for performance and organization.