Robotics in Retail 2024 by Rethink Retail

ROBOTICS IN RETAIL

2024 THE AUTOMATION LANDSCAPE

01 02 STATE OF THE UNION

ROBOTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER

How Robots are Ensuring the Perfect Pick

By Guy Courtin

CHAPTERS

03 04 05 ROBOTS IN THE STORE Helping Store Associates Meet Customer Needs

By DeAnn Campbell

ROBOTS MAKING DELIVERIES

THE FUTURE OF RETAIL ROBOTICS

Moving Between Nodes, Last Mile Robots, and Drones

Looking at Automation Going Forward

By Oliver Banks

By Alex Lindstrom

Design by Diane Zeise / Creative Director, RETHINK Retail

The retail landscape today—defined by rapidly developing industrial and consumer technologies— presents retailers with an ongoing challenge: what technologies to invest in, why, and when. Like any game of strategy, identifying the best set of moves and then choosing from them at the opportune moment is key to success. Yet, unlike (e.g.) chess, the pieces themselves are evolving. Imagine if the function of the Queen suddenly changed; it would rewrite textbooks on the game itself. However, this is what retailers find themselves presented with: a chessboard that is not only shifting but whose pieces are also under

constant revision. For retailers, one of the most important and rapidly evolving chess pieces is not just AI, but robotics. Retailers therefore need to stay on top of this landscape with a proactive strategic mindset, one of continual learning and growth. Even so, the landscape is simply too much for any one team to manage. That’s why finding the right expertise —and the right partners—can make all the difference. When it comes to robotics, however, the variety of vendors, functionalities, and use cases could easily be seen as overwhelming. To help in this endeavor, this report provides a robust overview of the various types of automation and robotics that impact retailers through the lens of several industry experts. We will focus on specific retail segments where automation plays an important role, providing a snapshot of relevant vendors within each segment. We are not looking to provide a ranking of vendors, but will focus on robotics from distribution to the end customer. Automation and robotics in the manufacturing process are fairly well established and understood, though still advancing in major ways. The discussion is increasingly focused on robotics technology moving closer to the end consumer.

WAREHOUSE

STORES

DELIVERY

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

CHAPTER 1: A STATE OF THE UNION ON ROBOTICS IN RETAIL By Guy Courtin // Vice President of Industry and Global Alliances at Tecsys

Robots and mechanical automation have permeated our supply chains since the late 1700s. Yet, much of this technology has been focused on the manufacturing world. No one is shocked to see a robotic welding arm or a robot manipulating the chassis of an automobile within the four walls of a factory. However, robots working alongside us in a store and amongst us in public remains a curiosity, a horizon. Yet, we are beginning to see more robots among us, and the discussion of how we will coexist with them is growing. The leap between (e.g.) robots picking for e-commerce orders in a distribution center and driverless vehicles hauling freight on our highways or service robots helping consumers within stores is a significant one. The challenge for retailers is which use cases to focus on, and how to choose the right robotic vendor. This is daunting when you consider there are over 700 robotic vendors just in the warehouse space.1 Add to this the number of new and exciting startups that keep entering the market addressing emergent needs across the retail spectrum.

Retail is no stranger to disruptions whether from new business models, technological shifts, or even natural disasters. The notion of a “new normal” would assume there was a normal to start with. From the days of ancient markets where barter was the main vehicle for the exchange of goods through the advent of currency, the general store, the shpping mall, Walmart, Amazon, mobile commerce, and social commerce, retailers are constantly having to deal with a wide variety of disruptions. Today, the rise of robotics is the latest technological disruptor on the horizon.

To start on this journey, retailers will need to take a holistic view of their consumers’ journey. From the point of purchase to the final delivery, as well as the post-purchase experience (e.g., returns). When it comes to robotics, retailers need to separate the digital part of this journey from the physical–robots are very much grounded in the physical world. Where on this journey are there touch points for the end consumer? At those points of contact, retailers must identify inefficacies, opportunities for improvement, or constraints due to such variables as low labor availability. Identifying these areas opens the door

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

THE STATE OF ROBOTICS IN THE RETAIL INDUSTRY An Interview with Akash Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of GreyOrange, Inc.

SUMMARY:

for conversations about the potential usage of robots to address these needs. In other words, the challenge for retailers will be to prioritize where in their customers’ journey the touch points that could most benefit from robotics are, and perhaps even more importantly, which areas do not make business sense for robotics.

Akash Gupta, the CEO and Co-Founder of GreyOrange delves into robotics’ pivotal role in the retail evolution. From transforming distribution centers to enhancing in-store experiences, he highlights the urgency of an omnichannel shift. gStore, GreyOrange’s retail management and omnichannel solution, redefines retail stores, enabling them to operate as efficient microfulfillment centers. Hear about the store of the future: powered by vertically integrated software stacks that seamlessly unify and execute retail processes.

In sum, retailers must realize that robotic offerings are already present in many areas of need, and more and better solutions are coming onto the stage all the time. There is no shortage of solutions. Yet, retailers must be savvy in prioritizing where to invest and what is the end goal they are trying to achieve, particularly when it comes to the tricky challenge that is introducing more and more robotics to customers, particularly in public, during deliveries, or in the store.

Retailers must be savvy in prioritizing where to invest and what is the end goal they are trying to achieve, particularly when it comes to the tricky challenge that is introducing more and more robotics to customers

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

Solutio

DELIVERY

IN-STORE

on Space WAREHOUSE

CHAPTER 2: ROBOTS IN THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER How Robots are Ensuring the Perfect Pick By Guy Courtin // Vice President of Industry and Global Alliances at Tecsys In a retail world that is trending toward 20% of all retail being done via e-commerce, the distribution center is taking on a new role.2 Warehouses are no longer simple pass-throughs for inventory. They have taken on a wider role in retail. Traditionally, that role was to replenish store inventory, but as we’ve touched on, robotics technology can now look forward to fulfilling e-commerce orders, final mile kitting, and returns as well as other services for the end customer. Of course, the warehouse is a key physical manifestation of retail. Yet, while digitization has played a greater role in the management of the warehouse, it is still all about moving boxes! So, what role do robots play in the warehouse? Like manufacturing, warehouses have been early adopters of automation. Seeing miles and miles of conveyors winding through a warehouse is not

uncommon. What we are starting to see more within retail distribution centers is modern automation. Those take many forms, whether the famous Kiva robots (now Amazon robotics) whisking shelves full of products to pick stations (a goods-to-person system) or the small, independent robots from Locus, 6 Rivers, Onward Robotics or Fetch to name a few scurrying around aisles, helping fill totes and moving independently. Others include the large honeycomb storage systems from Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) vendors such as Autostore, Exotec, Knapp and Opex, where the large cube storage system houses massive amounts of goods while robots constantly find and present goods to pickers. Each of these presents major opportunities for efficiency, yet are only three of a myriad of warehouse-based robotics solutions. One way to wrap one’s mind around this wealth of solutions is to break down warehouse robots into two segments–fixed and mobile.

In a retail world that is trending toward 20% of all retail being done via e-commerce, the distribution center is taking on a new role.

Fixed Robotics This class of modern robotics is categorized by robotics within your warehouse that don’t generally move around. Think “steel in the ground.” These systems require dedicated space within

your warehouse and form a part of the overall infrastructure. Oftentimes, your warehouse is designed around these pieces of material handling. Fixed robots are typically characterized by the following: high throughput, density of storage, and storage security. When it comes to fixed robotics, there are several things to think about. For example, fixed automation requires a long-term commitment. The robots are going to be physically integrated into your warehouse in dedicated spaces. Some solutions, such as ASRS, require significant square footage. The same holds for GTP solutions–which require dedicated physical space for the solution. Once you have committed to this technology, it becomes very disruptive to change course, so before you invest, make sure you work with your partners and suppliers to paint a true longterm picture of what this investment requires, creating a clear road map. Where it comes to fixed automation solutions, there are two key functions we will examine, storage and picking and ‘sortation.’

STORAGE AND PICKING The main draw for most fixed automation is the vast storage options it offers for a warehouse. While some might point out that warehouses are already stacking and storing materials up to the rafters, accessing this inventory can be risky and challenging, nevermind inefficient for human pickers. ASRS systems from the likes of Exotec, Auotstore, Ocado, or Opex allow for a high density of storage but also much easier access to the inventory being stored. The same can be said for VLM (Vertical Lift Modules) solutions, allowing inventory to be densely stored and easily accessed as the VLM presents trays of inventory to the pickers. These systems also all offer a higher degree of storage security; the inventory is put away once the necessary SKUs are picked, therefore avoiding shrinkage as well as securing high-value inventory.

SORTATION When it comes to fixed automation, speed is a key value. Sorting all your products for delivery is a use case where speed is paramount, for example. All one has to do is look at a video from an Amazon, FedEx, UPS, or USPS sortation center to see the high-speed sortation systems in place. Warehouses requiring a high level of sortation capabilities will look to fixed systems from large providers such as Daifuku, Dematic, or Honeywell (to name a few). Alternatively, there are sortation systems for smaller SKUs such as the T-Sort from Tompkins–think of robotic Tonka trucks moving the sorted cargo to their appropriate containers. Relevant players in the fixed automation solution space include Autostore, Exotec, Geek+, OPEX, Tompkins Robotics, Ocado, Right Hand Robotics, Modula, Plus One Robotics, and Inther, among many others.

Mobile Robotics Mobile robots are exactly that, mobile. They are not fixed infrastructure. They come in two flavors: Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV).3 AMRs are robots that can navigate using their onboard sensors, like cabs navigating the streets of London. They can take you from point A to point B but will take different roads depending on traffic, construction, and other factors. AGVs are robots that leverage some form of a track or rail to navigate the warehouse. Think of them as the tube in London. They will get you from point A to point B but require a fixed track system to ride between these points. Mobile robots are primarily used to move inventory around the warehouse. They can do so in a variety of manners, working relatively independently or in unison with others. From an investment perspective, one of the main differences between mobile robots and fixed is the level of infrastructure investment. Mobile robots offer warehouses the ability to introduce automation to an existing warehouse, making them ideal for a brown field warehouse. They are designed to work alongside labor throughout the warehouse with minimum disruption. There are a few ways we can think of the primary use cases for mobile robotics:

EACHES PICKING Eaches picking—or picking individual items into a shipping container—is where robotics solutions have recently seen a great deal of energy, attention, and investment. Much of this has been driven by

Fixed automation requires a long-term commitment. The robots are going to be physically integrated into your warehouse in dedicated spaces. Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

e-commerce needs and other concurrent factors. That’s because e-commerce has driven the need for accurate and fast picks. At the same time, the pressures of the labor crisis have further driven the need for robotics herein, particularly AMRs working side by side with existing labor. Today, the flexibility of the solutions is becoming a greater and greater selling point for warehouses looking to adopt. Companies can acquire and purchase several robots and easily transfer them to different warehouses depending on needs. Companies such as Geek +, 6 River, Locus, Onward Robotics, and Fetch offer solutions to robotically enhance the eaches picking within your warehouse. There are also solutions combining material handling with picking arms from the likes of Righthand Robotics and Soft Robotics. These arms will do the picking from bins or conveyors. However, the industry has arguably yet to see a commercially viable solution with these picking arms.

POINT-TO-POINT Point-to-point solutions (P2P) are a method of introducing robots into your warehouse without causing the potential for greater disruption. These

robots can perform simple tasks such as moving inventory from receiving to induct stations. They might also include robots that simply move dunnage. These types of robots do not need to be integrated into your Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) or Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). They simply need to be programmed to do a repetitive task on a schedule. For example, Fetch and Locus both offer a solution where a robot will come to a designated area and move the dunnage. Aside from these two major areas, there are other operational needs within a warehouse to support the primary functions. Security and hygiene are two such areas where robotics have made significant progress. Cleaning robots are becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives. In the warehouse context, think of these like industrial-strength versions of the Roomba vacuums you might have in your home. Security robots are not Robocop, but mobile alarm systems. Allowing you to cover more area than static sensors or cameras (though they will still require interaction with human security personelle). Relevant players here include Locus, 6 Rivers, Geek+, Vecna, Fetch, Onward Robotics, Caja Robotics, Amazon Robotics, InVia Robotics, and Waypoint Robotics.

What Does it All Mean? The role of the warehouse has evolved within the world of retail. One of the primary drivers of this phenomenon has simply been the rise of eCommerce and associated technologies. However, again, retail is always evolving; the pace of this evolution has simply accelerated. Consumers are expecting to have their needs met wherever and whenever they desire, catalyzed by the growing digital economy. The evolution of the warehouse has taken many forms, from a simple pass-through for inventory, to a place where we would hold large pallets of inventory until they were moved to their final destination, to a location where we fulfill orders, perform final kitting, ingest returns, and continue to replenish stores and other physical locations. In fulfilling all those functions, robotics can be thought of less as a single tool than an entire toolbox in and of itself, with different tools to address different needs.

It bears reiterating: when looking to bring automation into your warehouse, retails must understand that there are a plethora of options for all the workflows within your warehouse. Warehouses need to identify short-term needs versus long-term investments. If you need to meet seasonal eaches picking, that is different than building a greenfield warehouse that you will rely on for decades to come. With greater mobile robotic options, retailers and their warehouses have greater flexibility to bring on robots, try them out, and then make a decision. Unlike older fixed automation such as conveyors, modern automation allows for this level of flexibility. We are only seeing the beginning of the automation revolution. Any retailer that is not investigating this new tool for their warehouse will do so at their own peril, both for themselves and their investors–and most importantly–in how the technology can better serve their end customers’ needs.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Guy Courtin serves as vice president of Industry and Global Alliances at Tecsys, an omnichannel supply chain technology provider. He is a well-respected thought leader and speaker on the topic of the future of supply chains and retail in particular; in his current role, he leads Tecsys’ advanced technology and automation go-to market strategy. He brings over 20 years of experience in the supply chain industry, having held senior leadership roles at 6 River Systems (now part of Ocado), Infor and i2 Technologies (now Blue Yonder). In addition, he has been an industry analyst covering the supply chain and retail spaces for SCM World (now Gartner), Constellation Research and Forrester Research. Guy holds an MBA from the Olin School at Babson College, a Master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago, and a Bachelor’s degree from The College of the Holy Cross. Guy has been featured on numerous industry publications, podcasts and keynotes, speaking on the evolving retail ecosystem, the role of technology, and the interplay between physical and digital customer experiences; he proffers insight into the future of fulfillment, the new goalposts for customer loyalty, and how frictionless retail is forging new paradigms. Join Guy’s LinkedIn network.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

CHAPTER 3: ROBOTS IN STORE Helping Store Associates Meet Customer Needs By DeAnn Campbell // RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer & Strategy Advisor Robotics have become ingrained in warehousing, manufacturing, and other back-of-house operations over the past two decades, but only recently have robots been brought into direct contact with shoppers inside the retail store…with mixed results.

Shelf Health In 2017 Walmart began a 500-store pilot of shelftracking robots to scan merchandise in the store, with other big box and grocery retailers soon following suit. These shelf-tracking robots were deployed in stores to scan the aisles for low stock or misplaced SKUs, ensuring shelves are optimally maintained and freeing up staff to perform more complex or customer-facing tasks. More recently, technology advances are allowing retailers to integrate real-time data from shelf-tracking robots into their supply chain and merchandising teams to lower inventory costs, optimize reorders, reduce the need for excess stock discounting and enable just-in-time manufacturing. And while most stores initially deployed their tracking robots outside of business hours, as the technology improved, retailers began using them while stores were open to shoppers, broadening the work of these robots to reporting spills and tripping hazards to store staff (e.g.).

In August 2023 The Wakefern Corporation announced the expansion of their initial Shop-Rite pilot of shelf scanning “Tally” robots, citing a more than 99% accuracy rate on real time product data from the robots. The use of these robots has allowed the grocer to significantly reduce the number of misplaced, expired or incorrectly priced products. It’s an investment that could pay dividends for retailers when North American retailers reported $349B in lost sales from inventory distortion in 2022 due to out-of-stock products and discounted pricing on overstocked products. Additionally, improved spill detection has helped reduce the risk of lawsuits stemming from customer or staff injuries. Retailers today must deploy their products across multiple channels almost simultaneously. Services like curbside pick-up, click-and-collect, and shipping from the store require real-time inventory accuracy to avoid losing revenue and damaging customer loyalty. In-store inventory robots offer retailers the promise of finally gaining mastery over their inventory. Yet, like all things, there are drawbacks. After rolling out inventory robots across 500 stores, Walmart discontinued their program in late 2020, finding that store employees could achieve the same efficiencies without the added technology spend. Shoprite customers have complained frequently about having to navigate shopping carts around in-aisle robots, and have reported being annoyed by the persistent beeping sound the robot makes as it moves about.

Customer Service Taking a page from e-commerce chatbots, retailers have begun experimenting with robots in customerfacing roles to enhance the in-store experience. Expanding on the duties of their shelf tracking robot, Lowes is evolving their “LoweBot” in select stores to greet customers, direct shoppers to items in the store and answer questions from shoppers or staff. Lowes is also moving robots outside the store with the “Knightscope” security monitoring robot to patrol parking lots, store exteriors, and adjacent areas. Through the manufacturer’s subscription model, this security robot costs between $1 and $7 per hour to operate, much cheaper than the $18-30 average hourly rate for a security guard of the human variety.

The security robot can help keep store visitors safe with its 360-degree continuous camera monitoring including thermal and motion detection, license plate recognition, weapon detection, and alert signaling which can be connected to store staff and local police services.

Automating In-Store Experiences Continued innovation in robotics is also helping retailers explore new ways to connect online and offline within the physical store and offer deeper levels of personalization to shoppers.

This security robot costs between $1 and $7 per hour to operate, much cheaper than the $18-30 average hourly rate for a security guard of the human variety.

An expanded partnership with Simbe brings Tally, the comprehensive retail management solution, to all Schnucks stores, Image courtesy of Simbe

Image courtesy of Knightscope

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

Many of us have seen images of “Pepper”, the adorable-looking robot unveiled in 2014 by Softbank Robotics. Designed to interact with shoppers in over 15 languages and featuring the ability to process verbal, emotional, and visual cues to engage with humans, recommend products, advise on sizing and more, Pepper’s career included a stint as a Uniqlo brand ambassador that generated a reported 20% increase in customer engagement in stores. However, despite data showing increased sales, engagement, and satisfaction for retailers employing Pepper, Softbank discontinued the robot in 2020 citing its steep manufacturing costs and challenges in scaling production. Like some CEOs today, Pepper’s salary was out of alignment with corporate earnings.

Yet, Pepper has paved the way for new options for instore shoppers to access personalization and omnichannel integration. When visiting an e-commerce site, returning shoppers can easily be acknowledged, remembering language preferences, products viewed, sizes, purchase history, and more. However, within physical stores, this same level of recognition and personalization isn’t possible without the shopper activating a store app on their mobile device or sharing a phone number as they check out– which is too late to impact basket size or customer experience. Some Brands are leveraging robots in stores to generate awareness and brand love for their products. Mars is testing a new impulse experience to replace the traditional candy shelf by the check-out.

Impulse items represent as much as $6B in additional revenue for North American retailers buys throughout the store is therefore a deeply important one.

New Store Formats Robotics has opened up opportunities for Brands and Retailers to develop new store formats to solve specific needs. Kellogg’s now closed pop-up ‘Kellogg Café in New York City included a multi-tasking robot called ‘Temi’ that could hold a bowl and follow customers around the café as they chose their cereal selections, or roam the café to engage with diners, assist staff and take selfies with customers.

“Smiley the Robot” is hard at work in select New York Wakefern grocery stores as part of a pilot. Smiley offers customers an array of Mars Wrigley products to purchase, plays catchy tunes, and dances as it moves around the store to engage with shoppers, encourage impulse buys, and convey the Brand’s message of fun. This is a critical test for Mars as the shift to selfcheckout and home delivery has taken a major bite out of impulse purchases. A study by North American Self-Checkout Systems found that impulse purchases drop by over 30% at self-checkouts compared to staffed check-outs. Since impulse items represent as much as $6B in additional revenue for North American retailers, the ability to offer impulse

Using learnings from the Café experience, Kellogg created a Cereal Dispensing ‘Bowl Bot,’ currently in use on college campuses, complete with a range of products, toppings, and milk preferences for customer personalization. This small-scale format allows Kellogg to place their brand where customers spend more time. For a fraction of the cost of a café or store, Bowl Bot can generate valuable data about product preferences to inform future product creations and operational decisions.

At Your Service Some new companies are showing how robots can potentially replace humans for tasks not previously thought possible. In the lobby of new Las Vegas venue, The Sphere, five lifelike robots named Aura act as ‘spokesbots’ to greet visitors and answer questions about the design and construction of the building, how the almost

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

750 million square feet of digital screens work, offer directions, or simply engage in chit chat. Aura’s highly expressive facial movements, ability to speak languages from around the globe, and AI-powered conversational abilities offer guests an incredibly memorable experience. The Sphere marketing team has plans to extend her presence beyond the venue into social media and video channels as a legitimate brand ambassador and social media influencer. Meanwhile, Luum Lash is currently testing a robot for applying eyelash extensions in California area salons. Powered by computer vision the robot wields delicate featherweight wands that can complete a traditional lash enhancement in 25 minutes instead of the usual 90 minutes to 2 hours needed by lash technicians. Many customers have said they found this robotic experience to be far more comfortable than its human-powered version. Luum’s robots hard at work applying lash extensions. Image courtesy of Luum

Tomorrow’s consumers will expect a more fully integrated online and offline shopper’s journey, with robots being ideally positioned to play a key role. With Ulta Beauty funding a portion of Luum’s venture capital, it may not be long before this popular beauty service arrives in your local Ulta or Target store, and with the ability to perform the work three times faster on demand, it has the potential to become a new standard for the beauty industry. Furthermore, in 2022 Target worked with a company called Clockwork to test a robotic manicure experience in Minnesota, Dallas, and California test markets. The machines offered a ten-minute self-serve robotic manicure for $10. Customers

would slide each finger into the machine where a combination of cameras, data, and algorithms guided the nail polish application. A human attendant was present only to offer guidance. While the robot “mini-cure” was not quite as accurate as a human manicurist, customers, on the whole, were satisfied with the results. Target wrapped up the test and removed the units from stores in early 2023, but considered the pilot to be a success and is open to trying out the next-gen version potentially available in 2024.

While service robots may still have a learning curve before potentially supplanting human labor, today’s robots have demonstrated that shoppers are open to an automated experience provided the price point and result meet their needs. The hurdle that retailers currently struggle with in adopting robotic technology today isn’t the functionality but rather the initial capital investment needed.

The Promise of Innovation Despite the growth of e-commerce, physical stores are still on track to drive the majority of retail spending for the foreseeable future. However, tomorrow’s consumers will expect a more fully integrated online and offline shopper’s journey, with robots being ideally positioned to play a key role. Across the spectrum of retail, robotics will become deeply connected to profitability and adaptability in response to ever evolving consumer preferences, political upheaval or environmental events. Backof-house robotics will optimize in-store fulfillment of digital purchases. Service robots will offer personalized engagement and integrate digital touchpoints into the in-store shopping experience. Robotic clerks may finally even make self-checkout succeed in big box and grocery environments.

Looming developments that combine AI with robotics promise enhanced benefits in areas suffering critical issues today. By combining security and theft solutions with robots that greet customers and monitor the store environment, retailers will potentially alleviate risks to the safety of employees and shoppers. By delivering front line real-time data to any assigned party retailers can overcome silos to achieve faster and more unified alignment between in-house or outsourced teams. Nvidia Research is already using AI to monitor robotic activities and autonomously make real time code adjustments to refine robot capabilities. This will enable deeply personalized in-store experiences for shoppers, such as recalling a repeat visitor’s name through face or voice recognition, offering highly relevant product suggestions through an understanding of a shopper’s buying history, or assisted check-out from any location in the store. And the data generated through in-store robotics will unlock efficiencies that enhance a retailer’s profitability across all online and offline channels. It is this wealth of potential use cases, efficiency gains, and opportunities for enrichment within the customer journey that positions robots as a major part of the retail industry’s story going forward.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR One of RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Influencers, DeAnn Campbell is a strategy advisor who has helped top brands and retailers successfully integrate in-store technology with customer and employee experiences for more profitable outcomes. Co-host of the Retail Mashup podcast and Advisory Member on the Shop! Retail Technology Council. Join DeAnn’s LinkedIn network.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

CHAPTER 4: ROBOTS MAKING DELIVERIES Moving Between Nodes, Last Mile Robots, and Drones By Oliver Banks // RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer & Retail Transformation Consultant Stock movement is a fundamental aspect of retail and all physical product businesses. The distribution of products nationally or internationally is an essential part of the supply chain and a precious element of the value chain. This stock movement occurs in multiple stages as the products move from factory to consumer. Each category presents different intricacies and challenges. The grocery sector is arguably the most complex, dealing with large volumes of stock, bulk or heavy goods, fragile items, chilled or frozen products, and often with limited shelf life. Yet, other categories also have their considerations–from security concerns to humidity or time constraints.

Primarily, it’s safe and secure deliveries, getting the right products into the right place at the right time. Robotic solutions throughout the supply chain and logistics operations can help achieve this customer wish. However, as with all technologies, each solution is only suitable and viable for specific scenarios.

Automated Middle-Mile Logistics Must Overcome Multiple Hurdles

In brief, when considering robotics, you’ll naturally understand the intricacies within your supply chain, and it would be worth assessing similar intricacies from other categories. Different categories and companies rely on various fulfillment models such as hub and spoke models, national hubs, trunking networks, integrated 3PLs, and more.

Moving stock through the supply chain has been the fundamental transport link for the retail industry and costs around $2 trillion per year.4 The classic challenges of cost and timeliness have been joined by environmental sustainability challenges and increasing issues surrounding the availability of specialist skills, particularly forklift drivers for loading and High Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers.

Despite this complexity, it’s worthwhile returning to a seemingly simple but crucial question: what do customers want from your supply chain and stock movement operations?

Many retailers are currently focused on transport efficiencies (e.g. fuel efficiencies, loading capacity, planning) and the electrification of fleets. Yet, with many leading retailers already effectively tackling

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

these challenges, will the next major competitive advantage be based on self-driving transport capabilities? There are numerous benefits to automating these logistics functions. Business cases will primarily be built through the efficiency savings of removing or reducing specialist drivers and operators; driver shortages have also presented challenges for supply chains and are forecast to become more severe over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, automation can operate around the clock and can avoid the drive-time limitations of their human counterparts. Additionally, robotic trucking company, TuSimple, has revealed a potential 10% fuel efficiency5 through automation. Finally, there is also an important safety-based upside to automation introduced by simply eliminating human errors.

Robotic or automation solutions for middle-mile logistics are rapidly developing, but there are numerous technical and legal challenges to overcome before they become commonplace. Autonomous trucking trials are already active. For example, Ikea is working with Kodiak Robotics for a trial making deliveries from a Houston warehouse to a Dallas store. Additionally, Forward Air Corporation, a transport provider, is also working with Kodiak Robotics to trial an autonomous and consistent freight service running 24 hours per day, six days per week. 6 The trial is between Dallas and Atlanta; the robotic trucks complete the 1,600-mile round-trip three times a week (although trials have also shown that the robotic solution could drive even further per week) far outpacing the drive-time limitations and range of human drivers. Aurora Innovation and TuSimple are also running active trials and expanding their reach and fleet. Having stock moving 24 hours a day presents a huge opportunity for retailers over the 11 hours a day that a lone human can drive relatively safely.7 This capability could enable long distances to be completed sooner, or it could present an opportunity to operate fewer warehouses with longer travel distances and thus drive times where robotic trucks could still offer the same delivery frequency and responsiveness. Automated shipping solutions have also been in trials since 2019.8 Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are being deployed for improved productivity and efficiencies as well as to minimize human error. They can simultaneously process multiple data sources to ensure that ships don’t run aground or present other issues.

However, while there are logistics solutions in live trials on both land and sea, they’re not yet ready for widescale deployment. Currently, trials must be fully overseen by onboard (human) safety drivers or operators who can quickly seize control if needed. These specialist human operators negate any productivity savings in the short term, but this remains an essential step for innovating in the sector and building trust in automation. Autonomous vehicles are still struggling with more complex tasks, such as driving large trucks in city center locations. The tight spaces, traffic, and unexpected disruptions mean that trials tend to avoid these locations, either giving control to a person or delivering to the suburbs only. The adaptability and experience of human drivers trump robotics for these complex situations, at least for the moment. With self-driving trucks in particular, local legislation and regulations will determine what’s legally possible. With long-haul road trips, the truck may navigate through multiple legislative zones or different countries. Adopting this technology will therefore be dependent on the most risk-averse regulatory zones for any given journey. In other words, robotic or automation solutions for middle-mile logistics are rapidly developing, but there are numerous technical and legal challenges to overcome before they become commonplace.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

Robots are Regularly Delivering the Last Mile to Customers There are multiple methods by which robotic solutions are making last-mile, direct deliveries to customers. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, however, and retailers may need to consider operating multiple forms of last-mile robotic solutions.

AUTOMATED ROBOTIC PODS If we rewind 10 years, it would have seemed unrealistic that small, robotic vehicles would be traveling down sidewalks and pedestrian areas to deliver customer orders. These small delivery robots have been in trial since 2016 and have gained increasing exposure as companies expand to more locations. When these robots start arriving, they’re well received by residents who enjoy seeing robots rolling around town, coupled with the convenience of on-demand deliveries. Many universities have adopted these technologies. Students at the University of California, Stanford University, Arizona State University, and many more are regularly ordering groceries that arrive securely and quickly in small pods. The consumers of the future are effectively being trained to use these robotic solutions. In the UK, Co-op is leading the way, offering customers quick delivery times, served by the retailer’s sizeable network of local convenience stores. They’re expanding to cover more towns and geographical zones. These robots serve a relatively small zone, around a 2-mile radius from the ‘home’ store, so there must be sufficient customer density and demand to warrant the solution. This will therefore tend to be deployed in the foreseeable future within more built-up town and city locations.

Sidewalks can’t be too busy either, however, or it risks creating a brand-damaging obstruction for other people walking nearby. Equally, there would be a delivery productivity hit for the robot by having to stop or slow too much around other people. However, despite this small delivery radius, tests have also been run using a larger van or vehicle to carry a fleet of these smaller robots which can then disembark at a location and make their deliveries before returning to the larger delivery van later. Think of a mobile ‘hub-and-spoke’ distribution model. Each robot usually carries a single customer order, with a limit on the size. Different vendor options present robots with varying storage sizes, so it’s important to clearly understand your order profile in terms of dimensions, volume, and weight. It’s not a giant leap of imagination to foresee having a range of robot sizes to cater to different sizes of customer orders. Suitable locations must also be served by a good network of sidewalks, pavements, and pedestrianized zones. These robots are not off-road vehicles and they’re usually not roadworthy either.

Automated robotic pods have been widely tested and well-received by customers. Retailers continue to expand their trials as a testament to their business value. Yet, getting the location right is important for a successful deployment.

SELF-DRIVING CARS The technology behind self-driving cars is being rapidly developed, especially for transporting people from A to B. The tech companies who are leading the way for consumer use are also thinking about selfdriving vehicles for business use. Tesla, for example, has already announced that they’re planning on launching a self-driving ‘Robovan’ alongside selfdriving cars. Retailers are already excited about exploring selfdriving on-road solutions for last-mile deliveries. Vehicles can range in size, from full-size vans through to small golf-buggy-sized units.

Like the middle mile automated solutions, trust is also still an important consideration. Local governments are setting different restrictions for self-driving vehicles which will dictate where these can and cannot be used. It’s also important to consider how to best serve the right order to the right customer. Collection lockers and automatic storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) are options for transporting multiple orders at once for transport efficiency. Self-driving technology is still developing and fully automated tests are limited so far. Yet, with consumer use cases approaching rapidly, it feels like we could see an explosion in this technology in the not-too-distant future. This rapid acceptance of the technology will then pave the way for retailers to expand into automated delivery options.

DRONE DELIVERIES

In China, JD.com is trialing smart vans which are essentially BOPIS collection lockers on a self-driving chassis. Customers can request their collection and the smart van will meet them at a location where the customer can collect their order. This trial has now expanded to over 600 smart vans, covering 30 cities.

The retail industry has been lusting over drone deliveries since Jeff Bezos teased them in 2013, and probably for longer than that. Many retailers are experimenting with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drone deliveries, notably, Amazon, Walmart, Tesco, JD.com, and Alibaba.

Also in China, WeRide is using a robot-controlled van to make deliveries of e-commerce orders to physical stores, ready for customer collection.

Tests so far include delivering food and drink, hardware, medical supplies, and pharmaceutical products. Walmart recently completed 10,000 drone deliveries9 whilst their latest drone partner, Wing, has made over 350,000 deliveries across the world, including nearly 1,000 in a day across a single region in Australia.10 The global drone delivery market is expected to grow to $28.9bn by 2027, at a CAGR of 52.4%.11

In the UK, Asda is running tests to deliver customer’s grocery orders. There is a human safety driver who also helps unload shopping carts and greets customers. These self-driving vehicles are potentially better for city center locations, where automated pods will be caught in pedestrian traffic. However, parking restrictions and no-car zones present issues that could cause headaches for transport teams responsible for delivery operations.

In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) has started delivering difficult-to-transport chemotherapy drugs, urgent blood supplies, and even transferring donated organs between hospitals. These medical use cases have a significantly different business

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

case but with government support, this sector could develop the technologies and scale that could make them viable for retail. Drones are better suited for low-density residential areas or difficult-to-reach locations. There are limitations around the distance they can travel to make deliveries, so they’re suitable for time-sensitive deliveries, including hot and cold food. There are currently several technical limitations to making drone deliveries. A lengthy pre-delivery survey process is required to ensure a safe approach and landing or drop-off site. There are weather restrictions including hot or cold temperatures as well as severe wind and rain. Additionally, there are some no-fly zones that drones must obey, and there is the possibility that these expand as drones become more commonplace.

Drones are also subjected to noise complaints and privacy concerns. These will be further exacerbated for making regular deliveries in highly residential areas. However, this is not news to drone manufacturers who are actively looking to reduce the volume and annoying pitch of units. Drone deliveries are no longer situated in the realm of science fiction. However, while they’re not currently viable for high-frequency deliveries or the mass market, they remain relevant for niche use cases where they can prove their value.

Delivering the Art of the Possible Robotic deliveries existed only within our imagination a few short years ago. Now, they’re very much a reality. Hollywood movies suggest the future will be packed with robots carrying out delivery tasks. Meanwhile, robotic development specialists, like

Boston Dynamics, continue to increase mobility, speed, and intelligence for units. Urban and residential planning will take into account these elements. Furthermore, urban planning concepts, like the 15-minute city, will further encourage the use of short-range robotics as well as longer-range transport between cities. Automation for stock movement in retail is only going to continue to develop. There will be more advanced automation with less human involvement. However, this should not be considered a technological race to win at any cost. The technical capabilities are still developing, and legislation is evolving too. Finding the appropriate delivery technology for the specific challenge remains a crucial factor. Understanding the different robotic solutions and their ideal use cases presents a genuine opportunity for retailers to explore further, but first start by clarifying what customers and stakeholders want from your supply chain and the vital stock movement operations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Oliver Banks is a retail transformation consultant and advisor and one of RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Influencers. He’s led and delivered major change initiatives for a range of world-class brands and retailers. He hosts the Retail Transformation Show podcast, and is the author of Driving Retail Transformation: How to navigate disruption and change. Join Oliver’s LinkedIn network. Other resources of interest - Podcast episodes from the Retail Transformation Show: • Episode 246: The Rise Of Robotics In Warehouses • Episode 247: The Rise Of Robotics In Transport • Episode 248: The Rise Of Robotics In Last Mile Deliveries • Episode 249: The Rise Of Robotics In Retail

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

CHAPTER 5: ROBOTS ROBOTS AMONG US The Future of Robotics in the Public Eye By Alex Lindstrom // Managing Editor at RETHINK Retail The world of retail has seen rapid changes largely driven by technological advances and their effects. For any challenge a retailer today must adapt to, technology can often be seen as its primary, longterm driver. Whether changing consumer behaviors and expectations, the rapidly shifting cybersecurity landscape, or the potential for robotics both in the warehouse and in-store to revolutionize retail, retailers find themselves constantly analyzing the intersection between consumer psychology and the tech that can best satisfy those needs. As we noted in our introduction, the tech landscape can be seen as a rapidly shifting chess board, and one of the most powerful and robust technological chess pieces a retailer must consider is increasingly robotics. While for warehouse managers this may sound like old news, advancements in robotics technologies are not only shaking up what is possible in those warehouses, but what is possible in store— and even out amongst the public. There is indeed a fast-growing conversation around end-consumer robotics whether in the store, in aisles, or even on the street delivering packages. This conversation is driven in part by a rapidly growing number of real-world use cases and ‘experiments’ from which to draw broader insights. In fact, if the future of commercial robotics can be

summed up in any single idea as the technologies continue to develop and complexify, it is the increasing integration of robotics technologies into the everyday lives of consumers. That isn’t to say that robotics technologies aren’t making new moves in warehouses, however. The technologies found in warehouses—including basic functionality such as robotic pickers—advanced tremendously over the last several years in response to the surge in eCommerce demand stimulated by the lockdown era. Without a doubt, the robotics technology seen in warehouses will continue to develop and at a rapid pace, particularly in the realm of the mobile robotics we learned more about in the preceding chapters. All the same, this chapter will largely focus on the future of robotics among and as perceived by the public simply because that is where so much of the conversation is going forward into 2024 and beyond. Incorporating the insights of our authors Guy Courtin, DeAnn Campbell, and Oliver Banks during a roundtable discussion, we will briefly examine the state of robotics in the retail industry today before moving onto common industry challenges and projections, discussing what most excites our experts along the way.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

Robotics in Retail: Ahead, Behind, or Meeting Expectations? Robotics are growing as a sector, and rapidly: according to Zion Market Research, the Industrial Robotics Market came in at about $41.7b in 2021 with an expected growth of nearly 100% by 2028 to $81.4b.12 Notes one Forbes analysis, “that’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% between 2022 and 2028…factors include growing industrial demand in North America and increased demand for consumer goods due to a larger worldwide population.” The report further argues that robotics have seen a rapid entrance to broader market relevance in the last several years and that startups, corporations, and investors’ interest in the technology is only set to increase.13 Furthermore, the 2023 Connected Retail Experience Study found that retailers planned to automate up to 70% of ‘routine store tasks’ by 2025, largely in the name of ‘improving operational efficiency’—which is to say cost-cutting in the face of growing economic pressures. For this, AI is also expected to play a leading role.14

For Guy Courtin, Vice President of Industry and Global Allianceswith Tecsys Inc., retail robotics are all the same in their early stages—less behind and more ‘at the starting block.’ Argues Guy, “When we look at the adoption of robotics, starting at the warehouse and pushing out into physical stores, into last mile fulfillment, into logistics, it’s still very early days [even in warehouses]. There’s a study by DHL [noting that] only 15% of warehouses have automation today…it’s very early days, and I think that’s the exciting part about [all of the] opportunity out there for companies to adopt and leverage automation.” Oliver Banks, Retail Transformation Director & Consultant for OB&Co, argues that the impact of robotics tech in the short term is overestimated while its long-term impacts tend to be underestimated. As for whether the technology has met expectations in 2023, Banks argues that when it comes to ‘controlled environments’ such as warehouses, “we’re probably about in the right position.” He cites (e.g.) Amazon’s acquisition of Kiva Systems, which then scaled up that robotics technology to their global warehouse network. Meanwhile, DeAnn Campbell—Practice Lead, Retail with AAG Consulting—argues that when looking at robotics in the store environment, interacting with customers, “we’re behind where we thought we would be 10, 20 years ago.”

The Industrial Robotics Market came in at about $41.7b in 2021 with an expected growth of nearly 100% by 2028 to $81.4b according to Zion Market Research

“That’s primarily because the motivation hasn’t been there. Labor up until fairly recently has been relatively cheap for in-store, lower-level activities. Meanwhile, eCommerce was new and exciting. So the drivers for bringing robotics [to the store floor] weren’t there,” she explains, further noting that until very recently, costs were also prohibitive. “The average cost of an industrial robot in 2007 was about $46,000. Well, today that cost has come down by half, and they’re projecting the cost will come down by half again by 2025,” adding that the combination of increasing labor rates and decreasing robotics costs can help to create a ‘perfect storm’ for adoption. Indeed, according to a recent report by Reuters, some retailers have already been turning to robots to fight cost inflation: “Global installations of industrial robots grew 31% in 2021 year-on-year, while sales of service robots rose 37%, with the retail sector a significant driver of both, according to the International Federation of Robotics,” further noting that as wallets tighten globally, the need for efficiency-generating robotics will only continue.15

Challenges Going Forward: On Flexibility, Privacy, and Trust One long standing challenge with robotics in any environment has been their flexibility: their ability to adapt to rapidly changing conditions in much the same way humans have survived for millennia. For Banks, this ‘flex in capacity’ stands out as an ongoing challenge: “The retail market has a huge peak at one point of the year, typically coinciding across much of the retail industry. We need to be capable of handling the capacity of the peak, but at the rest of the year, deal with a lower volume in a viable way.” In other words, whatever investments one makes into robotics solutions whether in the warehouse or in-store, one needs to make sure that investment can

handle (e.g.) the holiday season—especially if those robotics solutions are replacing the duties of some human staff. Another major, ongoing challenge won’t be particularly unique to robotics as a technology, and that’s data sharing. It’s inevitable that for a robot to perform certain functions—particularly as an in-store assistant—it may need access to certain customer data (e.g., shopping history, lists, etc.). This is doubly so when it comes to the broader industry challenge of engaging customers with an omnichannel shopping experience, one that is both frictionless and personalized. On that note, while investing in warehouse robotics may seem like a no-brainer as the technology develops and market conditions ripen, it’s that end consumer where things get tricky, where limitations with existing solutions have met (e.g.) consumer trust concerns to create a certain lag in adoption. When considering how to invest in and deploy robotics—particularly independently mobile, semiautonomous units—managers must keep fresh in their minds how that technology is going to be perceived. This is partly because robotics has a mystique around it like no other technology aside from AI, though AI and robotics are frequently paired in the collective imagination regardless. It conjures images from Isaac Asimov to Philip K. Dick and all who came thereafter, and because many of those depictions (particularly recent ones such as James Cameron’s Terminator) are fantastic or cautionary in nature, those robots aren’t often depicted in the best of lights. The socio-behavioral effects of these lingering cultural images and motifs mustn’t be ignored. Similarly, basic facts about human psychology— particularly the uncanny valley effect—are critical in understanding how and when to introduce publicfacing robotics. What might be seen by an investor as a cute and helpful in-store robot could be seen by a few too many consumers as creepy, intrusive, and even threatening.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

Notes DeAnn, “Humanizing the robots is important. Retailers need to find ways to create trust… A lot of retailers have tried to put googly eyes on their robots to make them cute, to make them approachable, and much less intimidating. And that’s been very helpful. But if they make them too human looking, then it has the opposite effect and it kind of creeps the customers out.”

It’s when you begin to think about robots as a ubiquitous technology akin to cell phones or computers that one starts to wonder about the social implications. What exactly, after all, does a highly roboticized society look like? What policies would need to be put in place? How would people come to think of those robots? How much of the economy would they occupy?

She further explains, however, that while it may seem off-putting to many that a robot (e.g.) “come up, scan your face, run it through a database, recognize you and call your name,” this level of robotic interaction is likely to become increasingly normalized in the next several years.

Notes Courtin, even an in-store environment is ultimately largely controlled. Things change when considering the implications of robotics in uncontrolled environments…in the open air, crossing streets, or even driving cars. While there may be (e.g.) robots trundling around Cincinnati airport today, “they aren’t going outside on the tarmac, or around the street.”

In other words, while retailers and vendors will have to put in a lot of work to create trust with their customers and in-store robotics (it should not be taken as a ‘given’), and while there are myriad factors at play including the intricacies of human psychology, the robotics market has now gotten to a place where those problems are at last ‘manageable,’ and that’s a remarkable step forward. Some retailers have invested considerable time and energy into retail robots as early adopters, whether (e.g.) Currys in the UK, Decathlon in Spain, or Lowe’s in San Fransisco. Notes a recent report by Racontuer, “Robotics, and automation more generally, represent an opportunity for retailers as they wrestle with the constant challenge of managing the omnichannel experiences they offer while their costs rise and shoppers’ habits change.”16

A Future Full of Questions and Opportunities In addition to the rise of in-store retail robotics we are now living through, customers can also expect to become that much more familiar with robots in public settings (public spaces, sidewalks, etc.) or as delivery drones. Notes one recent Forbes analysis, drones are shaping how the future of fast deliveries will be understood and operated, with companies like Flytrex leading the market.17

“The question becomes when do we break out that controlled environment?” continues Guy, “When do we have a robot going down Fifth Avenue vying for sidewalk traffic? What does that look like? And that is a part we still haven’t solved.” It’s here that AI will naturally be a large part of the answer, working together with robotics to create more intelligent, adaptable systems. Much as generative AI’s grand entrance to the public discussion sparked a myriad of questions, concerns, hopes, and dreams, the intersection of advancing robotics and AI

technologies is quite the curiosity when looking five or ten years down the road. Yet, the opportunities for tremendous advances in omnichannel retail experiences are there and will likely present themselves sooner than anticipated. Argues DeAnn, “Robotics can really be that bridge between all of these other advancing technologies.” Imagine a robotic assistant working with varying instore technologies to help customers with questions, provide general assistance for RFID-powered

inventory, or facilitate other forms of personalization while knowing exactly where to go when via realtime heat mapping (e.g., correct foot measurements, asking relevant questions for product searches, and so on). Like AI, robotics as a technology encompasses a range of functions so broad that these examples are only the smallest selection of questions, concerns, and opportunities presented by the technology. All the same, they’re here now, and here to say. Newer generations, first exposed to robotics at earlier ages (e.g., on college campuses, a growing use case) will be that much more accepting of their presence. Reflects Banks, “As time passes, suddenly seeing a robot, interacting with a robot, or even collaborating with robots will just become normal, and we will all be sitting here in five or ten years asking how we lived without them.” Of course, with any emerging technology, there always have to be those early investors who take the plunge (e.g., Meta’s huge investment into VR is a particularly striking example, one whose full consequences have yet to play out). Yet, those who invest early also grant themselves the opportunity to get ahead of the competition in an increasingly tight retail market, one where robotics are guaranteed to one day do so much to shape that chess board.

“

Robotics can really be that bridge between all of these other advancing technologies. DeAnn Campbell // Practice Lead, Retail with AAG Consulting

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

References 1 https://www.thelogisticsiq.com/research/warehouse-automation-market/ 2 https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/ECOMPCTSA/ 3 AMR – autonomous mobile robots. AGV – automated guided vehicles. 4 Based on global retail market of $27 trillion in 2022 (Statista, https://www.statista.com/topics/5922/retail-market-worldwide/#topicOverview) and 6-8% distribution costs as % of total sales (Bain, https://www.bain.com/insights/are-your-distribution-and-transportationcosts-out-of-control/) 5 TuSimple - https://www.tusimple.com/ 6 Forward and Kodiak Robotics Become First Companies to Operate Consistent Autonomous Trucking Service Between Dallas and Atlanta https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forward-and-kodiak-robotics-become-first-companies-to-operate-consistent-autonomous-trucking-service-between-dallas-and-atlanta-301773517.html 7 Summary of Hours of Service Regulations https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations 8 NYK Conducts World’s First Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Trial https://www.nyk.com/english/news/2019/20190930_01.html 9 Walmart and Wing Team Up To Provide the Convenience of Drone Delivery https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2023/08/24/ walmart-and-wing-team-up-to-provide-the-convenience-of-drone-delivery 10 Drone Delivery Downtown https://blog.wing.com/2023/05/drone-delivery-downtown.html 11 Delivery Drone Services Global Market Report 2023 https://www.reportlinker.com/p06229767/Delivery-Drone-Services-Global-Market-Report.html?utm_source=GNW 12 Research, Zion Market. Demand for Global Industrial Robotics Market Size & Share Is Expected 11.8% CAGR Rise, Will Hit To USD 81.4 Billion Globally By 2028 (with COVID-19 Analysis) | Industry Trends, Value, Analysis & Forecast Report | Zion Market Research. https:// rb.gy/rbj9eb. Accessed 08 Nov. 2023. 13 Uzzaman, Anis. “Council Post: How Companies Can Apply Robotics To Their Work.” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2023/02/07/how-companies-can-apply-robotics-to-their-work/. Accessed 09 Nov. 2023. 14 Walk-Morris, Tatiana. “Retailers Expect More Tasks to Be Done by Robots by 2025: Report.” Retail Dive, https://www.retaildive.com/ news/retailers-tasks-robots-automated/645670/. Accessed 10 Nov. 2023. 15 Davey, James. “Retailers Turn to Robots in Cost Inflation Fight.” Reuters, 1 Dec. 2022. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/ business/retail-consumer/retailers-turn-robots-cost-inflation-fight-2022-12-01/. 16 Ambasna-Jones, Marc. “Why the Future of Retail Is Robotic.” Raconteur, 25 Apr. 2023, https://www.raconteur.net/customer-experience/why-the-future-of-retail-is-robotic. 17 Drenik, Gary. “How Drones Are Shaping The Future Of Ultrafast Delivery Across American Suburbs.” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/ sites/garydrenik/2023/05/31/how-drones-are-shaping-the-future-of-ultrafast-delivery-across-american-suburbs/. Accessed 12 Nov. 2023.

Robotics in Retail: The Automation Landscape

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