How Robots Could Help Retailers Save Billions

Outfitted with cameras and sensors, autonomous inventory robots can verify price signs and look for out-of-stock items. Inventory is one of the biggest challenges retailers face. Missed sales from empty shelves and out-of-stock items cost U.S. retailers $82 billion in 2021, according to NielsenIQ. But an army of inventory robots is being deployed that could help retailers appease angry customers, boost sales and respond to the ongoing worker shortage.

Chapters:
0:00-2:07 Introduction
2:08-5:11 Chapter 1 Empty Shelves
5:12-9:26 Chapter 2 Inventory robots
9:27-12:31 Chapter 3 The future

Produced by: Shawn Baldwin
Additional Camera by: Andrew Evers
Edited by: Nic Golden Henry
Animation: Alex Wood
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Additional Footage: Brain Corp., Bossa Nova Robotics, Getty Images

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How Robots Could Help Retailers Save Billions

[tslee]

I see a future where physical shops are just giant vending machines.

[andypowell]

We have one of the robot floor cleaners where I work at a very large Supermarket chain. What a piece of junk. The floors have to be swept first otherwise it picks up all the debris and starts streaking and sometimes leaks too. No robots to sweep the floor yet. It also has to have a perfectly clear path or it freaks out or starts doing donuts. It usually just ends up shutting down. It cost over $20, 000 and does a terrible job actually cleaning the floors unless it has a babysitter at all times. It’s not ready for prime time.

[up-uwop]

The robot also doesn't have to pay rent or feed a family.

[ROBO_Roundup]

It's amazing to see how far technology has come in creating robots that look and act like humans.

[emcity]

'Implementing this technology will help us save $$ in labor costs.'
'Worker shortages are one of the biggest challenges for retailers.'

[GCJACK]

While robots able to alert low stock are nice, they often can't see beyond the first row of items in a lineup. Meaning you could have anything hidden on the shelf that would be in plain sight for a person but will be hidden to a robot. This opens up new lanes for shoplifters. Also, robots can't do janitorial work beyond sweeping and vacuuming, nor can they repair themselves. Humans still have a role here.

[sunitadwarka]

Most of the smaller shops selling grains, they get confused with running smaller basket of grains and new full basket of grains, they mix it but they have another option, they pack the grain in plastic packaging bag seal it as ready made packing and keep some on counter and some in new bags. Some people are in hurry they will buy, some people are doing wedding or party they can buy it, at some discount price. We must request and train the population to buy older stock first to respect grains. Training to people is important .
Running shop is not easy job. All loss of grains or shopkeeper makes, impact on our food cost . Another option is make people to do side business of sprout grains.
Many times a grain gets mixed, so sell mixed grains sprout . We must learn to cover loss of grains.
Jay shree ram.

[Steven-xfmz]

Honestly it sounds like they just need a better data infrastructure. If sales data are realtime, they can set a max shelf count, and an alert can be sent to the stocking team in the back when available quantity goes below 50%, then each refill is set to 50%, so the shelf is always gonna be 100% - "% in the cart" after every refill.

[fofoqueiro]

In the beginning, while watching the YouTube video, I was confused about why the shop owner required a robot to monitor sales and inventory. It seemed redundant at first. However, it dawned on me later that the situation accounted for those "grab-and-go", making cashier data unreliable for tracking sold or unsold items.

[TurboKz]

Replace waiters too. No more complaints about not being tipped enough. We can order via table tablet and a simple robot can bring it out.

[sunitadwarka]

The supermarket can use another system to use expiry date products.
First about broken biscuits or expiry date biscuit, open the original pack completely, repack in plastic bag and sell for animal.
Second .
Supermarket gets lots of nonveg as expiry garbage . It comes also from fresh nonveg selling.
Purchase big pan, put oil, fry this nonveg.
Make pieces of expiry bread .
Add to this, quantity of oil depend on batch size of ingredient.
Bread, nonveg and oil make good combination, for food of animals like dog and cat. Don't add salt.
Oil will be replace as butter, mix well, fry for some time for water to evaporate .
Don't use regular oven, keep separate oven or pot. It smells too much. Do work in open places .
pack and seal.
It remains for two days.
Restuarant can also use same system for leftover food.
Sell for cat or dog.
The pack food from company is smaller in pack, but this packaging will larger.
Jay shree ram.

[worldlife]

Retail jobs generate poverty and homelessness. These retail corporations should be forced to give a percentage of profits to employees. 5% percent is a good place to start.

[thyagarajesh]

I live in Bengaluru, India. Last time I visited a retail super market was before pandemic. We order online and get door delivery twice a week. For daily produce, we make a quick visit to a neighborhood store.

[NinaCasali]

I have worked retail for 47 years, get a POS system that works with stock counts. Retail employees have been abused by customers and the companies they work for. Take care of the employees get rid of those stupid robots.

[SHAINON]

Awesome i cant wait to go to the shop and its just all robots or even better there is no shops and everything is done online soooo much better for the environment ❤

[diegolovell]

Jobs are going to either get easier r be fully replaced .. ubi r some form of pay for existing is the only way to go in a robotic future.. tax the companies..n if anyone ask where the money is going to come from the answer is the same place it's been coming from since the 70s.. thin air

[cameroncunningham]

This story reminds me of companies like Uber, which is never made a profit. Complete or near complete automation from production to delivery is the Holy Grail for business and we will see capital ($) continue to be directed to companies to perfect the technology

[Ultimate-Guardian.]

These robots are doing a much better job than human workers. People (humans) these days do not want to work, and that is very sad. I am all for robots.

[zAlaska]

Point of sale terminals order sold items instantly ensuring the shelves are always well stocked with items that sell. Why are popular items not being ordered? Thieves. How much was stolen today or the past week is what inventory robots can reveal. Why restock?

[LERJizz]

We don’t have a labor shortage, what we have is a wage shortage.
These robots are replacing workers because most greedy companies who’s main goal is to increase profit and decrease cost have the capital to invest in this technology.
Other counties pay employees adequate living wages while having a balance between employee satisfaction and profit margins. The USA has adopted a culture that profitability equals success but has failed to learned that everything needs a balance in order to be sustained. For example, healthcare.
We refused to have affordable healthcare for all our citizens while ignoring the fact that an uninsured unhealthy citizen is more costly than a citizen who has adequate preventative healthcare coverage. 🤷🏼‍♂️