Telexistence deploys restocking robots at Japanese convenience stores

Analysis:
There are 56,000 convenience stores in Japan — the third-highest density worldwide. Around 16,000 of them are run by FamilyMart. Telexistence aims to save time for these stores by offloading repetitive tasks, like refilling shelves of beverages, to its novel robotics system. This allows retail staff to tackle more complex tasks like interacting with customers. This RaaS-based system claims to help convenience store operators optimize and improve customer experience, especially during shifts when the workforce is tough to hire and manage. If the initial deployments in Japan go well, Telexistence plans to expand to the U.S., which has more than 150,000 convenience stores and is also plagued with a labor shortage in the retail industry. - Mike Oitzman