Chapters: 0:00–2:07 Introduction 2:08–5:11 Chapter 1 Empty Shelves 5:12–9:26 Chapter 2 Inventory robots 9:27–12:31 Chapter 3 The future
Missed sales from empty shelves and out-of-stock items cost U.S. retailers $82 billion in 2021, according to NielsenIQ. But an army of inventory robots is being deployed that could help retailers appease angry customers, boost sales and respond to the ongoing worker shortage.
Amazon is the world’s biggest retailer, and its CEO Jeff Bezos the world’s richest man, for one very good reason. His company is better than anyone else, ever, at giving people what they want, quickly. Amazon acquired its undisputed status as heavyweight champion of the retail universe thanks largely to its lightning-fast delivery times.
The astonishing feat of ferrying hundreds of millions of items, from guitar strings to saucepans to car parts, directly to your door, inside 24 hours, is nothing short of a modern logistical miracle. So how does Amazon do it? A super-smart army of slave robots, for one. Ingenious, if occasionally unscrupulous, management practices are part of the answer too.
And the modern-day voodoo of deep-learning AI – all of which are made flesh in the most advanced stockrooms the world has ever seen. So join us today, as we button up our hi-vis jacket and journey inside Amazon’s smart warehouses.
For years, one of the biggest days of the holiday shopping season was Black Friday. But in 2020, that could change. The coronavirus pandemic is fast-tracking big changes in retail that were already underway, pushing consumers into a digital future.
Illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ
Macy’s has long been identified with the start of the holiday shopping season. But the company was hurting even before the coronavirus crisis hit the retail industry, raising questions about how far Macy’s star could fall.
Photo Illustration: Jacob Reynolds/WSJ
The election has record breaking fundraising and huge early voting totals. That adds up to lots of voter enthusiasm, mostly among Democrats.
Guests: Axios’ Hans Nichols, Courtenay Brown and Bryan Walsh.
It’s too soon to know what downtown cities will look like after the coronavirus pandemic. What we do know is that no business will be spared. Both small mom and pops and big retailers will have to shut their doors and move away from dense city centers. That could mean landowners, consumers and retailers will have to work together to imagine the new iteration of the American city.
Guests: Axios’ Dion Rabouin, Caitlin Owens, and Sara Goo.
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