Robots
April 25, 2018 at 3:01 pm
Since they first started showing up on annual trends lists in 2015, industry watchers have predicted that robots would be all the rage in retail. Fast-forward a few years and it’s clear the pace is picking up, but there’s still no consensus about the ultimate role of robots in stores. Are they best suited for…
April 23, 2018 at 2:58 pm
Amazon.com is reportedly working on an an ambitious, top-secret plan to build domestic robots. According to a report in Bloomberg, the project is code named “Vesta,” after the Roman goddess of the hearth, home and family, and is being overseen by Gregg Zehr, who runs Amazon’s Lab126 hardware research and development division. Lab126 is responsible for…
April 2, 2018 at 10:40 am
The robots have arrived and they're becoming increasingly self-aware. There's broad acceptance that artificial intelligence (AI) is here. However, we're still figuring out how to apply it across retail businesses for supply chains, operations, omnichannel experiences, or even in-store. While we're still in the early stages of application, one thing is certain: as we increasingly…
October 30, 2017 at 11:47 am
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said last week it's rolling out shelf-scanning robots in more than 50 U.S. stores next year, to replenish inventory faster and save employees’ time when products run out. While Wal-Mart has been testing shelf-scanning robots in stores in Arkansas, Pennsylvania and California for the past three years, by the end of January,…
July 7, 2017 at 10:12 am
Much ink has been spilled hypothesizing about the future of the store. One long-term dream of science fiction writers that's now reality is the introduction of robots into our everyday lives, and this without a doubt includes shopping. Many conversations to this effect are happening in boardrooms and IT departments all over the world. Exactly…
December 16, 2016 at 9:49 am
Digital has touched all aspects of our lives, from the way we work and communicate to how we shop. The sweeping effects of e-commerce, with online sales estimated to reach $523 billion in the U.S. by 2020, mean that the retail sector is at the center of digital transformation. Brick-and-mortar stores have experienced the tremors…
August 31, 2016 at 11:21 am
Lowe's is about to debut its latest addition to its store associate team. This fall, the home improvement retailer will introduce LoweBot, a NAVii autonomous retail service robot. LoweBot make its debut in 11 stores throughout the San Francisco Bay area. According to CNBC, "the robots, made by Fellow Robots, use a 3-D scanner to…
August 8, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Rising interest in advanced retail technology is evolving the day-to-day role of in-store employees with every new available device. For example, automated assistants, such as the Lowe’s or SoftBank robots, can help consumers find specific products, offer customized promotions, provide inventory updates and ensure secure payments more efficiently than most human associates. Innovative technology can…
August 14, 2015 at 9:03 pm
If Amazon.com is so automated, how come it continues to hire big numbers of people every time it opens a new fulfillment center? Just what is Amazon’s separation of labor between man and machine? To find out, we went inside Amazon’s Coppell, Texas facility with Amazon Spokeswoman Ashley Robinson on Wednesday.
July 28, 2015 at 2:47 pm
Kyle Nel is executive director of Lowe's Innovation Labs, where he's developed the Lowe's Holoroom, an augmented and virtual reality home improvement design tool, the OSHbot autonomous retail service robot, and in-store and online 3-D scanning and printing. In Nel’s words: “I (and my team) build new technologies that solve consumer problems, as envisioned through…
