Shopping With Robots: Automation Will Soon Spark A Revolution In Our Retail Experience
Get ready for the store of the future. From Walmart’s order-picking Alphabot to Kroger’s automated fulfillment center, technology is already changing how we shop. We’re ordering online for at-home delivery or we use click-and-collect to pick up already-packaged items at the store. We even have others shopping for us: Witness Instacart and its competitors. But even with all these conveniences, a shopper from the past would still recognize today’s shopping experience – grabbing items off shelves and paying for them near store exits. Ten years from now, however, that process will become much rarer. Taking its place? Micro fulfillment. The ramifications will ripple through every aspect of retail, impacting shoppers and merchants alike. Read more at USA Today.