US retail giant Walmart is to set up bot-staffed logistics centers based on the technology of Israeli robotics startup Fabric, and two other tech companies - Alert Innovation and Dematic - in order to provide the micro-fulfillment centers. The smart logistics service, adjacent to or actually inside Walmart stores, will allow the retail giant to fulfil more orders and deliver them more quickly.
Walmart is currently setting up dozens of these robot-staffed automated warehouses around the US to improve the speed of supply with the aiming of fulfilling orders for pickup by customers or couriers within an hour.
The technology developed by Fabric (formerly Commonsense Robotics) allows bots in the logistics centers to automatically pick items and thus reduce manpower levels in the warehouses. The logistics centers are relatively small and within the city, thus enabling speedier delivery.
Fabric already works in this manner with at least two retail chains in Israel - Rami Levy Chain Stores Hashikma Marketing 2006 Ltd. (TASE:RMLI) and Super-Pharm and has logistics centers in Tel Aviv and Holon.
Fabric was founded in 2015 by brothers Elram and Eyal Goren, Ori Avraham and Shay Cohen. In addition to its two logistics centers in Israel it has a simulation model in its Tel Aviv development center.
When it launched the logistics center for Rami Levy last year, Fabric said it could fulfil 350-400 orders per day while the Super-Pharm logistics center, which does not have to deal with fresh produce, can fulfil 500-600 orders per day.
Walmart says that fresh produce in its logistics centers will continue to be handled manually by human staff rather than by robots.
Walmart US SVP customer product Tom Ward said, "Our customers love the speed and convenience of pickup and delivery, and we’re committed to finding faster ways to serve them, which is why we’re scaling the number of stores that will also serve as local fulfillment centers. We’re already planning dozens of locations, with many more to come."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 27, 2021
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2021