German Logistics Award 2025 Winner Announced

The German Logistics Award 2025 has been presented to Strauss for its project "Logistics Next Level". The award was announced yesterday evening during the BVL Supply Chain CX in Berlin.

A Revitalized Logistics Center

When a logistics center becomes outdated, companies are faced with the decision of whether to build a new facility or renovate the existing one. Strauss, a workwear brand, decided to pursue a revitalization of its headquarters in Biebergemünd while operations continued. The project convinced both the jury and the auditing team.

"We wanted not just to renew our logistics, but to revolutionize them," says COO Matthias Fischer about this year's winning project.

The existing logistics center dated back to the 1990s and was no longer fit for the future. The outdated systems consumed large amounts of energy, and many processes were still analog. An analysis showed that building a new facility would involve high costs, significant CO2 emissions, and a long construction period. In contrast, the brownfield revitalization offered a viable investment framework and a shorter implementation time, while saving 26,000 tons of CO2 compared to a new build.

Key Features of the Project

The project involved an investment of €55 million, fully financed with the company's own funds. A photovoltaic system and geothermal energy contribute to self-sufficiency. The renovation was carried out while maintaining operations, which placed high demands on planning, qualification, and risk management. Parts of the process were temporarily outsourced to the sister site in nearby Schlüchtern.

A new control center now coordinates around 45,000 shipments per day. Order processing time decreased from four hours to 40 minutes, the error rate was reduced by 80 percent, and customer satisfaction now stands at 98 percent. Automation and digitalization using state-of-the-art equipment are one pillar of success.

Employee Involvement

The project was embedded across the entire workforce, with employees involved from the beginning. They could co-determine many aspects such as shift planning, break schedules, and workplace design. The renovation period was used for training at the modern Schlüchtern site.

Particularly positive for employees: efficiency gains allowed weekly working hours to be reduced from 40 to 37.5—with full wage compensation.

Award-Winning Combination

Overall, Strauss convinced the jury with its integrated approach combining brownfield redevelopment, technology, ecology, and social aspects. The combination of preserving existing structures, connected automation, AI-supported control, and active employee participation creates measurable effects in performance, quality, and sustainability.

Other Finalists

The other finalists for the German Logistics Award 2025 were Siemens and Tchibo.

Siemens: Smart, Scalable, and Sustainable Solution with AI

Siemens' Logistics Center Erlangen (LC) faced challenges such as increasing numbers of small parcels, changes in customer ordering behavior, highly fluctuating customer demand, rising cost pressure, and ambitious sustainability goals. The solution was a comprehensive transformation during ongoing operations with a focus on digitalization and automation.

"Today, the entire process—from goods movement to labeling and preparing small parcels for shipment—is fully automated," says Dr. Ekine Aristizabal, Head of the Logistics Center in Erlangen.

Tchibo: "The Power within Retoure"

Tchibo's constantly changing and diverse product range presents a particular logistics challenge—especially when it comes to returns, which are considered a major cost factor in retail. Tchibo shifted its perspective and placed returns at the center of its omnichannel network.

Through an automated system with 300,000 bags, 27 percent of returns go directly into a new package, and 55 percent of returned items are available again in the online shop within 30 minutes. Particularly impressive: a total of 96 percent of returned items can be offered to customers again.