Challenges:
There are always new challenges facing the retail industry as technology rapidly evolves. Most grocery retailers are currently facing the following issues:
• 20% of out-of-stock items often remain unresolved for three days or more. This is totally unacceptable for grocers as over 30% of the time, shoppers will purchase the items at a competitor’s store.
• Less than half of retailers can accurately measure planogram compliance. It is estimated that retailers globally lose almost $500B because of in-store inconsistencies.
• Price inaccuracies result in the loss of millions of dollars in revenue every year.
• Immediate notification of any spills or floor hazards is essential to maintaining a clean and safe environment for customers and employees. In addition, the pandemic has led to the realization that retailers must put a premium on processes and technologies that protect their staffs and shoppers.
Solution:
Autonomous, multipurpose robots have proven how easily they can handle different duties, often referred to as “payloads,” which are driven by software programmed to address varying requirements. These include, but are not limited to, inventory management, hazard detection, security checks and surface disinfectants. Badger Technologies’ fully autonomous robots were developed for the grocery retail environment to address out-of-stock (OOS) inventory, planogram compliance and price integrity, as well as audit and compliance issues. These multi-functional robots were designed to operate safely alongside shoppers and employees while performing their various tasks. The robots have proven they are very effective as data collectors, performing with more than 95% accuracy in detecting out-of-stock items, while achieving over 90% accuracy in identifying incorrect or mispriced products.
As a result, Badger Technologies’ robots can efficiently improve store execution, lower operational costs and increase profits. The most powerful advantage of these retail robots is their ability to capture granular data around products on the shelves, which leads to greater insight on consumers’ buying patterns while also increasing inventory management accuracy and trend forecasting. Guided by 3D cameras and assisted by LiDAR, Badger Technologies’ robots capture real-time details of on-shelf inventory conditions while nimbly avoiding any obstacles or shoppers by simultaneously tracking their locations. Badger Technologies’ autonomous robots also empower security guard management companies and their customers to extend security workforce operations. They accomplish this by automatically verifying that windows and doors are secured, fire extinguishers and defibrillators are properly stored, and floors are free of debris and hazards.
By teaming with Orbbec, a leading global 3D camera manufacturer, Badger Technologies’ robots are outfitted with autonomous obstacle avoidance and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) capabilities as well as 3D vision. These capabilities played a pivotal role in empowering robots to help retailers and their customers in supporting retail hazard mitigation, autonomous Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and automated security inspections.
Badger Technologies’ robots ensure grocery retailers have all the right products in stock and in the right place while also making sure stores are safe and clean. These are all keys to increased customer satisfaction, which leads directly to increased revenue. That’s the power of data!
