A003 / Future Stores

In-Store Robotics

  • 2017
  • Prototype
  • Robotics

Future Stores

A helping hand for our associates

Customers want information to help them shop smarter, navigate the store efficiently, and leave equipped with the products and information needed to complete home improvement projects with confidence.

Labs is continually exploring how technologies like robotics can enhance in-store customer experiences by delivering intelligent help such as answering simple questions and enabling employees to focus on delivering trusted project advice and personalized service.  

 

See LoweBot in Action

What it is

Lowebot was a prototype to explore how Autonomous Retail Service Robot (ARSR) technology can improve and enhance in-store service in a large scale retail environment.  

How we got here

In collaboration with Fellow Robots, Lowe’s Innovation Labs introduced OSHbot, an Autonomous Retail Service Robot (ARSR), at a Lowe's owned San Jose Orchard Supply Hardware store in 2014. OSHbot evolved with enhanced in-store navigation, inventory scanning, and analytics capabilities.

In 2017, Lowe's rolled out the next iteration of this prototype, introducing LoweBot to a handful of stores in the San Francisco Bay area.

A resource for Lowe's customers

LoweBot was designed to help customers find what they are looking for and keep them up-to-date on current promotions. 

For example, LoweBot will help customers with more simple needs navigate through the store and guide them to the product they are looking for, helping them get in and out quickly with exactly what they need.  

If a customer tells LoweBot they need a hammer, it will display all available options for a customer to choose from. Leveraging store mapping technology, it will then guide them to their selected hammer at its exact location in the store.  

As LoweBot helps manage inventory, customers will better find the product they are looking for at the shelf. 

A helping hand for Lowe's associates

LoweBot, just like many other technologies that have been introduced to stores over the years, was designed to be another tool to enhance our employees’ ability to serve customers by addressing simple questions and enabling employees to focus on more complex questions and delivering trusted project advice. 

Additionally, we explored how LoweBot could streamline processes, facilitate real-time inventory management and contribute to business decisions by detecting inventory patterns across the enterprise.

LoweBot could also provide rich data analytics on inventory and customer inquiries to help inform business decisions. 

While in-store robotics can help enhance the in-store experience by providing intelligent assistance and freeing up employees to focus on personalized service, it's crucial to note that robots will never replace the personal connection formed when employees engage with customers and share their expertise on home improvement projects.

Lowe’s commitment to exploring how robotics can elevate in-store experiences remains steadfast, emphasizing the synergy between technology and human expertise.
 
 
 

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