Tuesday 19 April 2016

Auto-storecheck: Supermarket robot creates product maps as it takes stock

Pic: 4D Retail Technology Corp via Gismag        

A great article in Gizmag tells of the development of the stock-taking, store-mapping 4D Space Genius robot by Toronto's 4D Retail Technology Corp.

In less than an hour, the self-guiding Segway-based Space Genius can reportedly move along every aisle of a 40,000 sq. ft. supermarket or other large store, scanning all of the products and barcodes on display in HD and 3D. In the process, it produces a 3D map of the store, showing SKUs, OOS, pricing & placement anomalies.

(The Gizmag article gives more detail, including links to a Tally Robot).

Apart from the obvious advantages for mults and consumer-shoppers, NAMs - via an app - can conduct indepth storechecks 'from the comfort of their own homes'..., but we all know that nothing beats mingling with the aisle-travellers, live...

Meanwhile, spare a thought for what the Space Genius could do for instore compliance...

2 comments:

Mike Anthony said...

Hi Brian, Thanks for sharing... Of course, it'll still need someone to actually take action and stock the shelves, and with predicted destaffing across most major chains, will it actually help at all?

All the best,

Mike

PS - Would be great if it did!

Brian Moore said...

Thanks for your contribution, Mike.
I believe that any action needs to be driven by suppliers i.e. supplier is paying for quality of presence in store. The brand is being judged by its performance in the aisle, and it is critical that the shopper is given the opportunity to access that brand in the way intended/agreed in NAM-buyer discussions, and not simply fail because of lack of availability. Given the reductions in store staff levels, one can possibly envisage NAMs being asked to fund specialist in-store shelf-fillers as part of the compliance deal!!
Best wishes, Brian