The role of robots in the retail industry

Purpose The aim of this study is to illustrate how the global retail industry is adopting and benefiting from robotic technology. Design/methodology/approach Following an introduction, this first discusses the role of robots in inventory management. It then provides details of in-store customer assistance robots. This is followed by a discussion of robot applications in the e-commerce sector, including the role of humanoids. Finally, conclusions are drawn. Findings Due to labour shortages and in the interest of improved efficiency, the global retail industry is increasingly making use of automation in both the conventional and e-commerce sectors. Robots are playing a vital role in this process. The traditional retail sector presently makes limited use of robots, but inventory management applications are growing and significantly improve efficiency. An emerging application is the customer assistance robot. Several trials with humanoids are being conducted in retail environments, most notably in the Far East. The fast-growing e-commerce sector makes extensive use of robotic technology in highly automated warehouses and fulfilment centres. The main classes of robots are autonomous mobile robots and articulated arm designs. Trials are being conducted with the latest generation of humanoids, which have the potential to replace single-task robots and automate a facility’s full workflow, as well as being deployed retrospectively to existing facilities. Originality/value This provides details of the robots used by the retail industry and their applications.