German bookseller Thalia officially inaugurated its new omni-channel distribution hub in Marl, in Germany’s Ruhr region, on 1 October 2026. Built on a former colliery site in the gate.ruhr industrial park, the roughly 56,000-square-metre facility represents an investment of about €100 million and is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs at full build-out, according to Thalia. The site has been ramping up operations since early 2026.
Element Logic AutoStore at the core
The hub is built around an AutoStore system implemented by integrator Element Logic, with 530 robots and 280,000 bin locations able to hold up to 10 million items, according to Thalia and Element Logic. Thalia describes it as the most powerful AutoStore system of its kind currently operating in Germany. The automated storage is complemented by areas for manually handled goods and further fulfilment and production processes, the companies said.
Two-year build on a former mining site
The property was developed by ECE Work & Live — renamed ParkProperty Europe in March 2026 — with Goldbeck as general contractor. Construction ran from groundbreaking in December 2024 through a topping-out ceremony in June 2025 to the start of operational ramp-up in early 2026. The building meets the Efficiency House 40 energy standard and is fitted with rooftop photovoltaics, heat pumps, and green roofs and facades, per trade coverage of the opening. Ingo Kretzschmar, chairman of Thalia Bücher’s management board, framed the site as an investment in the company’s future and in the future of bookselling.
Sources: Logistik Heute, 1 October 2026; VerkehrsRundschau, 2 October 2026; Element Logic, September 2025.
