Store associates are the face of retail organizations, so it makes sense to reduce the time they spend on tasks that aren’t customer facing, such as performing inventory counts, replacing misplaced items, or scanning for out-of-stock situations.
Large retailers are using new robotics technology to handle these basic, repetitive, and tedious tasks. The technology can scan items on store shelves to check stock levels, correct shelf location, and price accuracy. It can also sort items unloaded from trucks based on priority and department, allowing associates to shift inventory from storage to the sales floor more efficiently.
And smart assistants are helping large department stores run more smoothly by minimizing the time an employee spends checking inventory or cleaning floors, making more time for face-to-face customer service on the sales floor.