Robots

The global pandemic sparked an evolution in the retail landscape that doesn't show signs of stopping. Namely, there have been two obvious shifts among consumers: increased omnichannel shopping habits and decreased brand loyalty. Customers aren’t hesitating to find another retailer that gives them the shopping experience they desire, whether in-store or online. To keep up…

From the manufacturing of goods to shipping to last-mile fulfillment and delivery, the entire supply chain has seen its challenges over the last few years. It's difficult for everyone directly involved to relieve the stresses being put on the cogs that keep the machine running. With the increase in consumer demand for at-home deliveries during…

The pandemic’s impact on consumer shopping habits, specifically the exponential growth in e-commerce, pushed retailers and distribution centers (DCs) to previously unimaginable limits. DC and retail operations were tasked with developing and implementing safety protocols while keeping up with elevated order volumes and increased consumer demand for fast deliveries. At the end of the day,…

Retail, like healthcare, education, and so many other aspects of daily life, have been changing fast as various technologies develop and mature. Efficiency in batteries and motors are exponentially ahead of where they were 10 years ago, as is connectivity in the form of Wi-Fi and 5/6G. Tremendous compute power now sits in the cloud…

After a year in which person-to-person contact was all but banned, contactless payments, online ordering, and curbside pickup have become the norm. Out of necessity, consumer adoption of these technologies has accelerated. In fact, 78 percent of consumers globally have made changes to how they pay in the last year to utilize touchless forms of…

In this episode of Total Retail Tech Insights, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Mark Messina, chief operating officer of Geek+ America, Inc., the Americas division of a global artificial intelligence (AI) logistics robotics startup. Messina discusses the Geek+ global business, the impact of automated operations on retailers' warehouses, and how having automation in fulfillment centers during…

Consumer behavior has been evolving over time, but never has it changed so rapidly in such a short period as it did in 2020. COVID-19 almost single-handedly forced consumers to embrace online shopping, as many physical stores shut down or reduced hours to comply with COVID-19 mandates. Consumers turned to online retailers for everything from…

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…