A.P. Moller-Maersk has taken over management of Puma's three highly automated U.S. distribution centers — about 2.3 million square feet across Torrance, California; Phoenix; and Whitestown, Indiana — and will rent out unused capacity to other companies in a move that turns excess warehouse space into a shared revenue stream.

The deal, announced Thursday, extends an existing long-term integrated logistics agreement between the German sportswear maker (XETRA: PUM) and the Danish shipping and logistics group, which already covers international ocean shipping, airfreight, customs, inland transportation, and warehousing and distribution in Europe.

For Puma, outsourcing its U.S. distribution network promises faster order processing, lower costs, and better utilization of its automation investment while still serving retail stores, wholesale customers and online shoppers. For Maersk, it adds three automated facilities to its North American contract logistics portfolio without capital outlay for new buildings.

All three sites run AutoStore systems — robotic storage and retrieval technology in which inventory sits in a compact grid and robots bring goods directly to workstations for picking and packing. The design scales flexibly, letting operators adjust to shifting demand.

The anchor of the network is Torrance, which will become Maersk North America's first AutoStore deployment supporting multiple clients. From 2027, Maersk will offer capacity at the Southern California site to other brands needing fast, automated order fulfillment near major air and ocean gateways and one of the country's largest consumer markets. The facility will handle roughly 20 million units of throughput per year, the company said.

"Many companies are looking for ways to get more value from the logistics infrastructure they've already invested in. This partnership is a great example of how Maersk can combine our operational expertise, technology, and logistics network with a customer's existing assets to improve efficiency, maximize the value of automation, and reduce costs," said David Hune, North America head of Maersk Contract Logistics.

The arrangement reflects a broader shift in warehouse economics. Shippers that built large automated DCs during the e-commerce boom face utilization gaps when volumes normalize; multi-client conversions let them monetize idle capacity while keeping dedicated service levels for their own operations.

Maersk North America operates more than 70 warehouses covering about 22.5 million square feet, offering consolidation, deconsolidation, storage, distribution and omnichannel fulfillment. Globally, the group manages more than 500 warehouses.

With Torrance capacity opening to additional brands in 2027, shippers seeking automated fulfillment near the Los Angeles gateway complex will gain a new option — and Maersk gains a template it can replicate across other underutilized customer facilities in its network.