eCommerce isn’t slowing down, but the people needed to pick, pack, and ship orders are in short supply. Warehouses across the U.S. are scrambling to fill hundreds of thousands of open roles, while demand keeps climbing.  

According to this 2024 Descartes study, at least 76% of supply chain and logistics operations are experiencing notable workforce shortages. Warehouse operations were one of the hardest-hit areas, with over half (56%) reporting shortages.  

The labor shortage creates lower fulfillment, rising costs, and more strain on already thin teams. Instawork’s 2024 State of Warehouse Labor Report found that 43% of companies with warehouse and distribution facilities lost revenues last year due to staffing shortages. 

That’s why robotic solutions have become standard in the warehousing industry. By taking on the repetitive, high-volume tasks, automated systems allow human teams to focus on higher value work and keep orders moving and businesses competitive in a labor market that shows no signs of easing. 

Let’s talk about what warehouse robotics could do for worker shortages in today’s warehouse spaces.  

Labor Shortages in eCommerce Fulfillment

The rapid rise of eCommerce is driving fulfillment centers to their limits. According to the US Census Bureau, eCommerce sales reached $304.2 billion in the second quarter of 2025 alone. This surge has pushed warehouses and distribution centers to operate at new speeds, but finding enough skilled staff remains a core problem.

Rising Demand and Workforce Gaps

Growth in online shopping, especially in the United States, has outpaced the available workforce, so many jobs in warehousing are still hard to fill due to their physical demands and the repetitive nature of the work. This is a pressing issue. According to Instawork’s research, warehouses near major ports are operating at 95% capacity, and yet 52% cite finding reliable, quality labor as their top challenge. As a result, logistics companies often spend more on recruiting and training warehouse workers than they did a decade ago, but roles still go unfilled.

Seasonal Surges and Staff Shortages

Peak seasons such as the winter holidays or social sales push facilities well beyond typical throughput rates. Temporary staff can be hard to find, and competition for these workers leads to rising wages and higher turnover.

These shortfalls put pressure on full-time teams, which can result in slower shipments and mistakes. 

Health and Safety Factors

The physical demands of warehousing undoubtedly contribute to turnover and absenteeism.

As reported by Rich Ives, Senior Vice President of Business Insurance Claims at Travelers, we’ve seen three trends intensify over the past decade: increasing retirement ages, ongoing employee turnover, and longer injury recovery times. Not only does this make hiring difficult, but it also creates real costs through lost productivity and insurance claims. As expectations for workplace safety climb, so does the need for solutions that help workers avoid strain, repetitive injuries, and accidents.

Automated Warehouse Solutions Explained

To meet these challenges, many fulfillment operations are turning to automated warehouse solutions. In fact, the global warehouse automation market size is now projected to reach $59.52 billion by 2030. These solutions combine warehouse robotics, software, and smart workflow design to minimize manual work, lower error rates, and boost throughput, all while integrating with the systems teams already know.

Key eCommerce Automation Technologies

Modern warehouse automation includes autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), robotic picking arms, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), and AI-powered routing.  

AMRs, for example, can transport goods throughout a facility and tackle repetitive tasks, while leaving complex or nuanced jobs to human workers. Software platforms coordinate these tools, making sure every eCommerce robot and worker operates efficiently. Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) add another layer of efficiency by moving, storing, and retrieving inventory. These systems maximize vertical space, reduce picking errors, and accelerate fulfillment speed, especially in high-volume operations.

Scalability for Varying Facility Sizes

Unlike traditional robots that require fixed infrastructure and operate in highly structured environments, today’s warehouse automation tools are mobile, adaptable, and designed to integrate into existing facilities. This flexibility allows businesses to deploy technology incrementally and scale with demand instead of committing to a complete overhaul from the start. Automation can be customized to different warehouse footprints and business models. Whether you’re running a regional supply hub or a large national fulfillment center, solutions can scale up or down.

Integration with Existing Operations

Automation doesn’t mean starting from scratch as most solutions are designed to work with current warehouse management systems (WMS) and physical infrastructure. This lets operators deploy robotics alongside existing workflows, reducing the learning curve for teams, and avoiding major downtime during setup. 

Autonomous Mobile Robots in eCommerce Warehouses

AMRs are changing how warehouses operate in real time. Unlike older automation systems, AMRs navigate complex warehouse layouts, adjusting their tasks on the fly with advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.

Task Orchestration and Real-Time AI Data

Platforms that supervise AMR fleets use real-time AI data to assign tasks, route inventory, and even predict bottlenecks before they happen. This brings a new level of agility to order fulfillment operations, since AMRs can adapt to changing order priorities throughout the day as operators track key metrics (like throughput, pick accuracy, and inventory movement) in one dashboard.

Flexible Deployment Models

Not every warehouse is the same, and neither are their robotics strategies. AMR deployment models are flexible; some operations choose to lease modern robots per pick, while others invest in dedicated fleets. Depending on seasonal volume and business growth, fleets can be scaled up or down with minimal disruption.

Benefits of Warehouse Robots: How They Can Solve Labor Challenges in eCommerce

Let’s take a closer look at how turning to robotics helps organizations meet the challenges of human labor shortages while improving key performance outcomes.

Reducing Manual Tasks and Errors

When AMRs handle transport, picking, or putaway, the chance of manual mistakes drops fast. Workers can avoid time-wasting walks across long warehouse aisles and focus their attention where it matters. Automated workflows also make sure that goods are tracked accurately at every stage, which reduces order returns and customer complaints.

Enhancing Worker Safety and Satisfaction

Carrying heavy loads, repetitive lifting, and navigating crowded spaces lead to injuries and fatigue. According to research from Logistics Viewpoints, many workers want to stay at their jobs, but they need improvements to make their jobs easier and less stressful. Warehouse robotics can relieve workers of these strains to create a safer work environment. In many cases, staff report greater satisfaction because they spend less time on monotonous, high-risk tasks and more time developing new skills.

Sustaining High-Volume Fulfillment & Inventory Management

Fulfillment centers must keep up with seasonal spikes and rush orders without straining their limited staff. Robotics can help sustain higher throughput and picking rates, even during periods where hiring seasonal teams is not possible. Operators can flex fleets of robots for short-term surges and then scale back as needed, all while keeping output stable. 

Considerations for Implementing Warehouse Robotics

Adopting automation in your fulfillment center doesn’t start and end with buying robots. Making the transition smooth, scalable, and successful requires careful planning. 

Assessing Facility Needs

Evaluate the parts of your workflow that bottleneck productivity, create extra walking or handling, or make it difficult to reduce labor costs. Look for data trends (such as picking rate per hour or error rates) to identify where automation provides the biggest impact and engage with teams on the floor to capture their insights on everyday challenges. 

Change Management and Training

Robotic solutions should empower team members, not threaten them. Provide clear training that focuses on advanced technologies as a tool for making warehouse work easier. Address concerns about job roles by highlighting upskilling and career growth.  

Regardless of yourp industry, strong communication can turn initial skepticism into enthusiasm. 

Evaluating ROI and Scalability

Start your warehouse deployment with clear success metrics such as cost per pick, throughput improvements, or error reduction. Choose platforms that scale easily with new business wins to add new robots, integrate with different WMS, or expand to support new or optimized workflows.  

Look for vendors that offer flexible financial models, like leasing or “robots-as-a-service” (RaaS), so you can adopt robotics without a burdensome capital outlay. These models typically bundle hardware, software, maintenance, and support under a predictable subscription or lease payment to let you scale your robotics fleet up or down as demand shifts.  

The warehouse robotics market continues to expand rapidly, driven by rising order volumes, labor shortages, and the need for faster, more reliable fulfillment. 

The Future of Fulfillment in the Warehouse Industry Starts Now

Automation in eCommerce fulfillment is the new reality redefining how businesses scale, adapt, and thrive. By pairing warehouse robotics with the human workforce, operators are solving labor shortages while building fulfillment models that are faster, safer, and ready for whatever the market brings next. 

Every warehouse and 3PL that invests in advanced robotic systems is investing in long-term growth, stronger teams, and a competitive edge that doesn’t fade. 

Learn What Collaborative Robots Can Do for Your Operation

Partner with Locus Robotics to increase throughput by up to 2x, reduce costs, and create a safer, more rewarding environment for your workforce. Our award-winning AMRs and LocusONE™ platform integrate effortlessly into existing facilities, delivering measurable results fast. 

For more Locus Robotics Resources please visit the Locus Robotics resource page.