Walmart putting even more robots in more of its stores
Over the last three years Wal-mart has been exploring ways to compete more effectively with the rise of e-commerce, but also help improve its in-store experience for those shoppers that continue to… you know… actually go to a physical store. One of those strategies has been to test robots that would scan the shelves to take note of out of stock items or ones that were miss-priced. Now Wal-Mart is expanding that robot test program, which could help it save on wage costs. We’re also thinking that inline with our Aging of the Population theme, and something we talked on this week’s Cocktail Investing Podcast, robots may be needed to compensate for the shrinking workforce.
On Thursday, Walmart (WMT) said it will expand the test to 50 stores. The bots are set to arrive in places like El Paso, Jacksonville and Fort Worth by the end of January.The company has been careful to pitch the robots as machinery to help staffers, not replace them.Related: 2017 just set the all-time record for store closings”We will always need great people in our stores working hard for our customers. This technology is a tool that helps our associates know where they can make the biggest difference for our customers,” Walmart spokesman Justin Rushing told CNNMoney.Still, the move seems to be a harbinger of the retail world to come. With Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) cutting into foot traffic at brick-and-mortar stores, many companies are opting to cut jobs. Automation could speed up that process.
Source: Walmart is putting even more robots in its stores – Oct. 26, 2017
