Amazon warehouses purposely store unrelated items together to increase efficiency.

Amazon’s 'Random Stow' philosophy is a cornerstone of its fulfillment center operations, which began evolving significantly after the acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million. This system replaces traditional alphabetical or categorical storage with a chaotic storage method managed by complex software. By spreading identical items across multiple locations in a warehouse, the system ensures that a picker is always near at least one unit of a requested product.The primary goal of this method is to eliminate 'bottlenecks' that occur when multiple employees try to access the same aisle for popular items. Research into warehouse logistics shows that random stowage can increase storage capacity by up to 40% compared to fixed-location systems. Every single bin and item is scanned into a central database, creating a digital map that guides workers via handheld devices or robotic units.In modern Amazon Robotics fulfillment centers, over 100,000 robots move vertical shelving units to human pickers. The algorithms calculate the most efficient path for these robots to travel, often reducing the time to fulfill an order from hours to minutes. This data-driven approach allows Amazon to manage over 350 million different products across its global network while maintaining high-speed delivery standards.This counterintuitive method also reduces errors by making items visually distinct. A picker is much less likely to grab the wrong item if they are looking for a specific DVD placed between a bag of flour and a toy car than if they were looking through a shelf full of similar DVDs. This blend of computer science and spatial logic remains a key competitive advantage for the company.