Following extensive pilot testing in 2018, Walmart is now investing in 4,000 store robots of various types. One robot (Auto-S/pictured) is designed to scan shelves to ensure product availability, proper placement, and accurate pricing. Another robot scans and sorts goods from delivery trucks. One robot cleans the store floors, and yet another handles the automated pickup of items that customers have purchased online and are picking up in-store. The expanded fleet of robots is a way for the grocery giant to free up store staff from logistics tasks so they can instead devote their time to serving customers, providing service, and making sales. In a statement, Walmart says it aims ”to use future technology to provide the company’s employees with greater job satisfaction” in a changing industry. This investment in robots comes at a time when the debate over the effects of automation on employment is intense in the U.S. A study recently published by the Brookings Institution predicted that one-quarter of U.S. jobs are at risk. At the same time, there is pressure for higher wages throughout the retail sector, where competitors such as Target, Costco, and Amazon have committed to paying a minimum wage of at least $15 per hour.
SOURCE: Walmart
