Boot Barn Case Study: Horizontal Carousels Help Support Same-Day Shipping and Peak Season Growth
Boot Barn needed a more efficient way to pick, store, and move inventory through its Wichita, Kansas distribution operation. As the company’s e-commerce business grew, its manual paper-based picking process was creating pressure on capacity, throughput, and peak season performance.
White Systems helped implement a horizontal carousel goods-to-person solution designed to increase picking efficiency, improve storage density, and support faster order fulfillment.
The Challenge: Manual Picking Was Limiting Throughput
At the time of the project, Boot Barn was operating as one of the largest lifestyle retailers of western and workwear products in the United States, with more than 230 stores across 31 states and a growing e-commerce presence.
Their Wichita distribution facility supported boots, apparel, and accessories for both store and online orders. The operation managed approximately 90,000 SKUs in the facility and offered more than 300,000 SKUs online.
Before the carousel system was implemented, Boot Barn was picking manually using paper-based processes. As order volume increased, the team needed a solution that could help them:
- Improve picking throughput
- Increase storage density
- Reduce walking and manual travel time
- Support same-day shipping requirements
- Handle peak season labor demands
- Consolidate multiple facilities into one operation
- Move away from batch picking toward a smoother order flow
The Solution: Horizontal Carousel Goods-to-Person Picking
Boot Barn selected a horizontal carousel solution from White Systems to help create a more scalable, high-density picking operation.
Instead of having employees walk through the warehouse to find inventory, the carousel system brings items directly to the operator. This goods-to-person approach helped Boot Barn move toward a more efficient one-touch picking process with visual picking cues and software-directed workflows.
The solution also supported the creation of a consolidation area, allowing orders to move through the facility in a more streamlined way.
Light-Directed Picking for Better Accuracy
The system uses light-directed picking to guide employees to the correct location and item. These visual cues help operators quickly identify where to pick, reducing confusion and helping new or seasonal workers get up to speed faster.
For Boot Barn, this was especially important during peak season, when staffing levels could increase from approximately 110 employees to as many as 190 employees.
With clear visual direction and a more intuitive workflow, the system helped support faster training, better accuracy, and smoother labor scaling during high-volume periods.
Results: Higher Efficiency, More Capacity, and Stronger Peak Season Performance
The horizontal carousel system helped Boot Barn improve several key areas of its distribution operation.
Reported results included:
- 3x to 4x gain in picking efficiency
- More than doubled inventory levels within the facility
- Order volume and line volume grew by more than 40%
- Same-day shipping supported at a 99.8% rate
- Multiple facilities consolidated into one Wichita, Kansas operation
- Peak season throughput improved with scalable labor in the carousel and consolidation areas
By reducing walk time and improving pick flow, Boot Barn was able to increase throughput while making better use of its existing space.
Supporting Same-Day Shipping at Scale
Boot Barn’s e-commerce operation needed to support fast fulfillment, including same-day shipping and next-day delivery when necessary.
The horizontal carousel system helped provide the throughput needed to keep orders moving during both normal operations and peak season. With goods-to-person picking, visual cues, and a more organized consolidation process, the distribution team gained a more scalable foundation for growth.
Why Horizontal Carousels Made Sense for Boot Barn
Horizontal carousels are well suited for operations with a large number of SKUs, high pick volume, and limited space. For retailers, distributors, and e-commerce fulfillment operations, they can help reduce unnecessary walking while keeping inventory organized in a compact footprint.
For Boot Barn, the system provided:
- High-density storage
- Faster access to inventory
- Reduced operator travel time
- A more scalable picking process
- Support for seasonal labor changes
- A more efficient order consolidation workflow
A Competitive Advantage in Retail Fulfillment
“The system that we implemented from White definitely gave us a competitive advantage in our space — being able to ship orders same day at a 99.8% pick accuracy rate and also maximize our storage capacity to keep our cost low.
— Boot Barn operations leader
From Manual Picking to Goods-to-Person Fulfillment
Before: Manual shelving required employees to walk aisles to locate and pick inventory.
After: Horizontal carousels delivered inventory to the operator for faster goods-to-person picking.
Need More Throughput From the Space You Already Have?
If your team is dealing with manual picking, growing SKU counts, peak season pressure, or limited warehouse space, a horizontal carousel system can help improve throughput without expanding your facility.
White Systems designs horizontal carousel systems for high-density storage, goods-to-person picking, and faster order fulfillment.
Talk to a storage specialist about your operation, picking goals, and space requirements.
Boot Barn results included:
3x–4x
Gain in picking efficiency
2x+
Increase in inventory levels within the facility
40%+
Growth in order and line volume
99.8%
Same-day shipping rate
Multiple facilities consolidated into one Wichita operation