Albertsons and Stop & Shop are testing automated “micro-fulfillment centers” in the backs of their own stores that are dedicated to fulfilling deliveries and pickups. At two stores, Albertsons is using robots to prepare customers’ orders, which it says speeds up the picking process.
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.And in Salem, New Hampshire, Walmart is piloting a system with autonomous carts that gather customers’ grocery orders and bring them to Walmart workers, who then prepare them for delivery or pickup.
Source: Why supermarkets are building ‘dark stores’ – CNN
As remarked many times on this blog, automated machinery, which has been growing since the late 19th century, will take over more and more minimum wage jobs – and this will accelerate as minimum wage hikes and mandated benefits increase the costs of hiring for minimal skilled positions.
