Omnichannel sortation system

An order fulfilment system comprising:

• an order management system comprising a computer adapted for controlling said order fulfilment system;
• a plurality of storage units each configured to store a plurality of items;
• a sorter disposed adjacent said storage units;
• an induct at each of said storage units and operable to transfer items to and from the corresponding one of said storage units to said sorter, wherein a portion of said storage units are disposed opposite each other such that a respective portion of said inducts are directed to transfer items toward each other when transferring items to said sorter;
• a plurality of order consolidators adjacent said sorter in spaced arrangement with one another, each of said consolidators configured to receive one or more items from said sorter, wherein the items received in each of said consolidators comprises a consolidated order;
• said order management system operable to:
• direct the release of required items for a particular order from corresponding ones of said storage units containing the required items to the corresponding respective inducts associated with the corresponding ones of said storage units;
• determine a selected consolidator to which the required items are to be directed by the sorter after at least a first item of the required items is at the corresponding respective induct of the storage unit from which the first item was released;
• and
• direct the transfer of required items from the respective inducts to the sorter;
• wherein said consolidators comprise chutes having an upper chute area and a lower chute area, and wherein items for the particular order may be temporarily held at the upper chute area while items for a different consolidated order are at the lower chute area.