Improving the working environment for convenience store managers has become an issue due to a serious labor shortage. Under these circumstances, FamilyMart has decided to introduce robots to stores nationwide to enable remote work for store managers.
FamilyMart will introduce an autonomous cleaning robot equipped with AI and camera functions.
Initially, the system will be introduced at 300 directly managed stores nationwide by the end of February to reduce the burden of in-store cleaning work.
In addition, within a year at the earliest, we will use AI and camera functions to enable store managers to remotely check products on shelves in real time and give remote work instructions to employees, such as replenishment. The plan is to install it.
Furthermore, in the future, the company aims to further reduce the burden on store managers by developing a function in which the AI will automatically instruct employees directly to replenish products.
The company plans to introduce this robot to member stores nationwide other than directly managed stores, upon request.
Hiroshi Takahashi, deputy manager of the Sales Promotion Office, said, ``The operational situation at stores is difficult due to a lack of manpower.If we manage to improve the efficiency of operations, the number of potential store managers will increase.'' I did.
Major convenience store companies are already working to improve operational efficiency, such as by introducing systems that use AI to support product ordering, but as the labor shortage worsens, it is expected that new initiatives that utilize technology will spread further. will be done.