Strong prospects for robots in retail

Purpose: This paper aims to illustrate the rapidly growing use of robots in the retail sector by considering a range of products and applications. Design/methodology/approach: Following a short introduction, this paper discusses robotic products and deployments in the following applications: inventory management, the provision of customer assistance, cleaning and hazard detection and product delivery. It concludes with a brief discussion. Findings: Robots are rapidly making inroads in the retail sector. They have been shown to reduce manpower requirements, improve efficiency, reduce costs and speed-up deliveries. As applications grow and the technologies mature, retail is expected to become a major robot user and will offer significant business opportunities. Originality/value: This study provides a detailed insight into the emerging and rapidly developing retail robotics business.