Have robots taken over the world of retail?
I know, it's not time to prepare for the robot take over just yet, but it seems like many companies are starting to replace employees with computers. Is this the beginning of a new trend? Are we really going to be competing with robots for jobs?
Duane Reade just unveiled their virtual assistant in their Manhattan store earlier this month. If you haven't had the chance to see it yet, it is a digital greeter that welcomes customers to their store. Basically, customers are being greeted by a holographic image of a red-headed salesperson when they enter the drug store.
Although the virtual assistant's capabilities are limited at the present, it may be the beginning of using computers to replace sales associates. It may sound far fetched, but if you think about it, most grocery stores have already made self checkout lanes commonplace, so it isn't such a stretch to consider that other retailers would want to take the trend even farther.
In fact, virtual sales people could offer many benefits for both customers and business alike. From a strictly business standpoint, a computer based salesperson can provide better assistance when customers are looking for specific products. If you have ever shopped online, then you know what I mean. A human salesperson isn't always able to search through the entire inventory in order to find items by keywords.
Also, virtual salespeople are able to offer related products and services consistently without being viewed as pushy. In the real world, humans are limited by their desire to not pester customers and shoppers are often defensive when they feel that they are being given a sales pitch.
Although this sort of automation has many benefits, I wonder if we are losing the power of human connection. Often, I shop at particular stores because I like the atmosphere and the employees. Because of my connection with them, it isn't as important to find the lowest cost or the best deal. Without the relationship, it becomes more of a price war, and I will shop at the place where I can get what I want for the least amount of money or effort.
The good news is that, according to Consumer Reports, the elimination of humans in retail stores isn't going to happen anytime soon. In their survey, shoppers cited not being able to find a salesperson as their top complaint. This means that customers want to talk to actual people when they are looking to make a purchase.
For the retail industry, this is very good news. In fact, retailers across the board have been laying off fewer people than most other industries. During the first six months of the year, the retail industry has announced 12% fewer lay offs and job cuts and experts are projecting a slow but steady increase in retail jobs over the next six months.
What do you think about the virtual assistance? Do you think that they could dominate the world of retail? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for ManhattanJobsBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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