Maersk will operate more than 2 million square feet of Puma’s North American distribution network, taking direct operational control of automated warehouses in Arizona, California and Indiana. For retailers and brand logistics teams, the move crystallizes a broader shift: transport providers are no longer just moving goods between hubs — they are running the machines that pick, pack and deliver them.
What changed
Under the expanded agreement, Maersk is managing Puma’s automated facilities and providing integrated logistics services including warehousing and fulfillment, air freight, customs, and inland transportation. The change means Maersk now operates more than 2 million square feet on behalf of Puma, added to its existing North American footprint of roughly 70 fulfillment facilities (about 22.5 million square feet) and a global network of over 500 warehouses exceeding 100 million square feet.
How Puma’s automation works — and why operator choice matters
Puma’s U.S. automated sites use AutoStore, a compact storage-and-retrieval system where robots move inventory within a dense grid to human workstations for picking and packing. That design reduces manual travel and handling, improving throughput and space efficiency. Maersk says it will optimize those systems with its operational processes, technology layers and data visibility tools to raise responsiveness and lower costs.
That combination — third-party operators running automation hardware owned or invested in by brands — changes where value is created. The advantage is clear: brands can extract more from existing automation without replacing equipment. The downside is concentration of operational control: when one provider runs both transport and in-warehouse operations, brands trade some supplier diversification for integration simplicity.
Business implications for retailers and brands
This deal highlights two practical shifts for supply-chain decision-makers. First, expect more carriers and transport-led firms to offer end-to-end fulfillment services, not just freight. Second, evaluate automation projects as joint technology-and-operations investments: who runs the system, who owns the data, and how quickly can capacity be reconfigured across channels?
For Puma, Maersk says the arrangement will improve flows to retail stores, ecommerce customers and wholesale partners and help Puma realize greater value from its U.S. distribution infrastructure. Maersk emphasizes asset control and data visibility as core benefits, and frames the partnership as a way to scale performance across channels while keeping inventory closer to demand.
Operational detail: Torrance and multi-client automation
One concrete outcome: the Torrance, California facility will become Maersk’s first multi-client automated site in North America. Beginning in 2027, Maersk plans to open capacity there for other brands that need fast, automated fulfillment near major air and ocean gateways and a large consumer market. That step signals Maersk’s intent to use Puma’s facilities as a template for multi-client operations.
The announcement does not include contract financials, specific service-level commitments, or published performance metrics from the partnership so far. Those omissions matter: third-party customers, competitors and procurement teams will watch for hard data on cost, throughput and downtime as Maersk onboards additional brands.
What supply-chain leaders should do next
Treat automation projects as ecosystem decisions. When selecting automation vendors and operators, require clear terms around operational KPIs, data access, change management and contingency plans. Assess integration benefits against supplier concentration risks, and design exit or reconfiguration scenarios before handing over operational control.
What to watch next: Maersk’s multi-client rollout at Torrance in 2027; any published metrics on cost or throughput improvements from the Puma partnership; and whether other brands follow Puma in placing operational control of automated warehouses with transport-led logistics providers.
