Robots

Talk of automation in business has historically been linked with conversations of rising unemployment, and the great battle of humans vs. technology in the workplace. However, as retail leaders blend physical and digital channels, many are beginning to see automation as an asset instead of a foe. For example, digital merchandisers got into the field…

As we near a holiday season like none before it, retailers must be proactive in addressing the ways in which COVID-19 has changed typical shopping behaviors and expectations. According to a new survey from RetailMeNot, 75 percent of Americans say they’ll prefer to shop online this year, and the same amount will aim to complete…

Walmart has cut ties with Bossa Nova Robotics, which made robots that scanned shelves for inventory, reports CNBC. The retailer has come up with other simple and cost-effective ways to manage the products on its shelves with its human workers rather than robots. A Walmart spokesperson noted that about 500 robots were in the company's…

The arrival of the so-called “retail apocalypse” in the wake of the phenomenal growth of e-commerce may be approaching quicker than anticipated as countless brick-and-mortar stores shutter due to the global pandemic. And with many consumers wary of returning to physical storefronts anytime soon — preferring to make their purchases in the safety of their…

Speed of delivery is one of the most critical aspects of providing a positive customer experience. Whether shipping to stores or directly to shoppers, companies must try to fulfill orders and cross that last mile of delivery as fast as possible to meet consumer expectations for speed, which seem to only get shorter with each…

In the last installment of this 10-part series, I focus on emerging technologies and trends that will shape fulfillment in the coming months and years. These innovations enable merchants to fulfill orders faster while reducing costs, especially in the last mile and warehouse operations. Many large e-commerce merchants have started to adopt these technologies, and…

Automation is helping merchants take a large cut of the $4.2 trillion pie that e-commerce represents today. Facebook has already integrated automation in some way or another to its marketplace through features like automated seller responses, and robotic process automation (RPA) systems are making platforms like Amazon.com and Shopify capable of reading and responding to…

As e-commerce evolves, customer expectations to get what they want — when, where, and how they want it — will only continue to intensify and further challenge brands in 2020 and beyond. The times when search and price were the only criteria for purchasing decisions are gone, and retailers today need airtight e-commerce strategies that…

In today’s digital world, data is worth its proverbial weight in gold. However, it’s not enough for retailers to just collect data to win the retail wars; they need to have a strategy to distill and apply insights from the data. For example, inventory data is particularly ripe for strategic use. By synthesizing information about…

Walmart has hired Scott Eckert to run its investment arm and startup incubator, Store No. 8, according to an internal memo from Marc Lore, the retailer's head of e-commerce on Monday, and obtained by Reuters. Eckert is a former executive of Bain Capital Ventures, where he evaluated potential new investments and advised CEOs about existing…