Shelf management robot introduced by Wal-Mart, affected by Corona 19…

Wal-Mart started introducing shelf management robots in 2017 and is making changes, such as expanding its hiring stores.

The robot autonomously moves around the store and checks inventory status, price setting changes, and product replenishment. It was expected that it would contribute to the reduction of labor costs by assigning the tasks that ordinary clerks do to the robot.

However, with the spread of Corona 19 infection, consumer purchasing behavior has changed to an internet shopping mall. In the supermarket business, a store clerk picks up goods from shelves instead of customers and turns them into delivery. Meanwhile, the need for a robot became ambiguous as the clerk was able to sufficiently solve the shelf management task entrusted to the robot.

In addition, Wal-Mart said it was concerned about how shoppers react to robots moving around the store. There is concern that shoppers may feel anxious when an automatically moving robot approaches.

Bossa Nova Robotics, the creator of the robot, did not disclose a contract with Wal-Mart, but said it is focusing on core technologies for business rationalization due to the impact of Corona 19. Of course, the need for shelf-management robots has declined, but Wal-Mart noted that the robotic introduction experiment itself was worthwhile, and said it was able to learn how the technology could support employees, contribute to streamlining work, and provide better customer service. Related information can be found here .