The complexity of selling 5,000 SKUs
Assortment scale is a warehouse design problem
Complexity is cubic, not linear
Doubling SKUs more than doubles pick decisions — similar barcodes, look-alike packaging, seasonal swaps. The floor feels it before finance does.
Design the building in software first
Use warehouse layout tools and pick routes before you add another category. Dark Store Systems ties catalog growth to physical capacity — not hope.
Curate to operate
Not every SKU deserves same-day. Long-tail can ship slower from a back zone — if your model allows — so the front zone stays fast.