3 minute read
Out the Box
by 55 North
Heavy lifting
A new partnership will see robots help retail staff with physically demanding tasks.
Danish supermarket retailer Bilka Odense has teamed up with start-up Coalescent Mobile Robotics (CMR) to deploy a fleet of 10 mobile robots in its ToGo click-and-collect stores.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
The pilot project will see robots assist and work with retail staff “for the first time”, the technology company says.
The robots will take over physically heavy and time-consuming tasks, working with employees to optimise the retailer’s processes.
“We see great potential in the robots, which in the future could be included in all Bilka supermarkets and which could perhaps be used for more tasks, possibly for replenishment,” Bilka Chief Executive Mark Nielsen said.
HOW WILL IT WORK?
The robots will help by transporting the trolleys from the warehouse to the store and vice-versa. On average, about 40% of the time on the ToGo process is spent performing the same physically demanding tasks as pulling and pushing heavy trolleys.
“The process is streamlined, employees are freed from heavy tasks, the working environment is improved, and time is freed to improve our customer service,” Nielsen added.
WHAT ARE THE ROBOTS CALLED?
The robots have been named Serena, after Serena Williams, because according to Clionadh Martin, Chief Executive of CMR, the tennis star is “strong, influential, and not afraid to challenge the status quo”. He said: “In close and constructive cooperation with Bilka, CMR has developed a sociable, human friendly and above all, safe and strong robot adapted to the conditions and needs of the supermarket.”
“After a year-and-a-half of cooperation, the robots are now ready to optimise the processes in the BIlka ToGo service.
“This comes at a time when Bilka ToGo orders have increased from 20 to 400-500 daily orders as a result of the pandemic and when there is a shortage of labour. The robots will bring about multiple benefits to Denmark’s only hypermarket.”
ARE ROBOTS THE FUTURE?
The answer is a resounding yes, according to Martin. “Many people are afraid of robots, but we want to demystify that and show that they can be great partners.
“It is important to make robots affordable and to make them useful in a fun and healthy way.”
The start-up has ambitious plans for further deployment of robots into retail, with Thomas Greve, IT Director for Bilka’s parent company Salling Group, noting: “With the ongoing pilot programme, CMR plans to install more robots in stores in Denmark, in addition to expanding to other European countries.
“The company received an investment of DKK 11m in 2021 and has attracted more investors in general.”
