Order Picking Optimization under Scattered Storage Strategies for B2C E-commerce

HUANG Wenxin; JIANG Wei

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.11.022

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (11) : 224-231. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.11.022

Automatic and Intelligent Technology

Order Picking Optimization under Scattered Storage Strategies for B2C E-commerce

HUANG Wenxin, JIANG Wei^*

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the picking optimization methods of the same stock keep unit (SKU) under multiple storage locations to shorten picking paths and improve warehouse operational efficiency, so as to address the order picking problem under a scattered storage strategy in B2C e-commerce. The storage location selection and path planning problem under a scattered storage strategy were decomposed into a two-stage solution. A minimum increment-local greedy (MILG) algorithm was proposed for storage selection, combined with a discrete particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm for path planning. To address the dynamic demands of actual picking, a centroid method was introduced to optimize the storage selection mechanism, forming an improved two-stage picking algorithm (MILG*-PSO). Experimental results showed that the improved algorithm enhanced picking efficiency under various scattered storage strategies, with an average improvement rate in path length of up to 10.64% and a maximum improvement rate of 20.75%. This method demonstrates significant advantages in a "Person-to-Goods" operational scenario, effectively alleviating the "supply interruption" issue in the packaging and checking process during major e-commerce promotions, thereby improving the overall fulfillment timeliness of the warehouse packaging operation chain.

Key words

scattered storage / storage location selection / order picking / minimum increment-local greedy algorithm / particle swarm optimization

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HUANG Wenxin, JIANG Wei. Order Picking Optimization under Scattered Storage Strategies for B2C E-commerce[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(11): 224-231 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.11.022

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