Borders co-founder launches robotic fulfillment service

RoboFS is designed to enable quick, touchless order fulfillment.

Home Delivery Service (HDS Global) is releasing RoboFS, an automated, end-to-end e-commerce delivery service. HDS Global CEO/founder Louis Borders was an original co-founder of the Borders bookstore chain, which liquidated in 2011.

Designed to enable at-home delivery of fresh groceries and general merchandise, RoboFS removes all human touch from the fulfillment process. Combining intelligent vision and AI with mobile and articulated robots, the service places all goods in reusable delivery totes that are sanitized after every use, eliminating paper and plastic waste.

Goods are then loaded in tri-temperature-controlled vans for trained HDS couriers to delivers orders on the same day, free of charge. Returns can be picked up at the customer’s doorstep. HDS intends the fulfillment process to result in fresher-than-store groceries, delivered direct to the customer’s door.

At the same time, the company’s AI-based software platform is designed to provide a highly personalized customer experience built around each individual shopper’s dietary needs, preferences, and brand favorites. This includes customization of items such as made-to-order meats, poultry, seafood, and other prepared foods to exact customer specifications.

“COVID-19 has revealed to consumers how supermarkets are unnecessary middlemen, between their families and the fresh goods they need,” said Louis Borders. “We’ve worked relentlessly to ready a new kind of e-commerce service - starting with fresh grocery - around what consumers always hoped it would be: highly-personalized, ultra-convenient, safe, exceptionally fresh, and eco-friendly - with no-cost, tip-free home delivery.”

HDS has secured funding partnerships from investors including Ingram Micro and Toyota. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.