French retail giant Carrefour trials fully automated click-and-collect robotic station
Le drive piéton de la rue de la Tombe Issoire va être transformé en drive casiers.
Ouvert au public depuis peu, ce drive piéton est le premier du genre à être robotisé. LSA l'a testé.
French retail chain Carrefour has started a test in Paris, with a pick-up point for pedestrians that is fully automated. There is even a separate section for frozen foods.
The new 'drive' (as the French call all pick-up points) has no need for staff: it consists of 94 boxes that can be opened using a QR code - customers do not need to touch anything except their own phone and their order. A second, cooled unit stores any frozen food the customer has ordered.
Le drive piéton de Paris Tombe Issoire, entièrement robotisé, fonctionne depuis peu, avec un système qui ne nécessite pas de présence humaine pour venir retirer ses courses.
The system can serve two or three people at the same time. The system, which was developed by the Polish company Retail Robotics, replaces an earlier pick-up point for pedestrians, which was a 'regular', manned station.
The fully automated boxes may be a first for Carrefour, but it is not a complete innovation. Also in Paris, competitor Intermarché has trialled a similar project before - but that was not a big success and was halted after a year. Analysts predict that the system now, with all the sensitivities regarding shopping in Covid-times, may have a much bigger chance to be successful.
