Reaching the Unreachable: How a Leading U.S. Retailer Solved Its Toughest Cleaning Challenge with KEMARO

This leading U.S. discount retailer operates at extraordinary scale with an extensive network of distribution centers. Each facility employs large teams of associates and processes enormous volumes of merchandise daily across its extensive network of distribution centers. Each facility generates a constant stream of debris, cardboard scraps, and pallet shards across millions of square feet of warehouse floor.

The facility in our case study already operated large industrial sweeper-scrubbers on main traffic aisles, but one persistent cleaning problem remained unsolved: the areas these standard machines could not reach.

The Challenge: The Areas No One Could Reach

Large scrubbers work on main aisles but can't reach the areas with the most debris: under dense roller racking and across 300,000 sq ft of mezzanine. These spots are too low clearance for standard equipment and too hazardous for manual cleaning.

The situation created three compounding problems:

● High and unpredictable cleaning costs: The contracted cleaning company charged extra for one-time sweeps of hard-to-reach areas, on top of the monthly base contract.

● A real safety concern: Sweeping under racks was a head injury risk, so these areas often went uncleaned for weeks.

● Deteriorating associate relations: Associates noticed neglected, debris-filled back areas, creating a perception of neglect. This visible filth hurts morale and retention, crucial in high-turnover logistics.

The Solution: Industrial Autonomous Cleaning

After a successful proof-of-concept in 2024, the retailer chose the KEMARO K900 as its autonomous cleaning solution and partnered with Eastern Lift Truck Co.’s Automation Division (ELT) for deployment and ongoing support. The K900 was initially deployed at one distribution center site, the first step in a planned rollout across all facilities.

The K900 was selected for three decisive reasons:

● Form factor fit: The K900’s compact, low-profile design allows precise navigation in tight spaces: under racking, along walls, around conveyors, and across mezzanine floors, while being durable and industrial-grade.

● Data security was critical: KEMARO ensured high data security by processing all robot data on-premise. This feature was a non-negotiable requirement for the retailer's IT security team, which streamlined the procurement process.

● Speed of deployment: The partnership ELT was vital for rapid deployment, offering 24-hour technical support that allows the operations team to run automation confidently without dedicated internal resources.

The Results: Cleaner Floors, Happier Teams, Smarter Operations

Visibly cleaner facilities and improved associate relations: The cleaner environment established a new baseline for cleanliness and delivered a lift in associate satisfaction, turning a previously neglected chore into a positive factor for retention.

Effortless to operate, easy to scale: Once deployed, the team managed the K900 through KEMARO's Sphere platform, updated cleaning maps and schedules, monitored robot status via a live digital twin, and accessed real-time cleaning insights, all from a single interface. The robot runs itself; the team just checks in.

Reduced equipment wear: By removing debris like pallet shards and metal fragments, the robot has directly reduced wear on Power Industrial Truck (PIT) wheels, leading to fewer maintenance interventions.

Cost reduction and avoidance: The robot immediately eliminated the $500-per-instance charges for out-of-contract cleaning and will continue to strengthen the retailer's negotiating position for future contract renewals.

What's Next

The retailer is now planning to scale KEMARO deployments across several distribution centers as part of its long-term automation strategy, with the Sphere platform providing centralized fleet management and ELT as a service partner.

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