How humanoid robots may bring retail closer to ‘Star Wars’ after all

They aren’t here yet, but humanoid robots are likely on the way to help retailers both in the store and the supply chain.

Robotics is one of the most exciting, promising, and quickly evolving areas of retail technology. Robots are taking on an increasing number of retail roles, including tasks for which many retailers are currently struggling to find enough human employees (including driving and warehouse work).

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a column looking at three possible futures for robots in retail, including what I jokingly referred to as a "Star Wars" scenario where human-like robots would routinely work alongside and potentially in place of humans across the retail enterprise.

We are certainly not at that point yet, and I don’t think C3PO will be offering in-store translation services for non-English-speaking customers anytime soon. 

But more retailers are testing and developing bipedal, human-like robots to perform a variety of tasks. Here are a few examples of areas where humanoid robots may have a significant impact:

Warehouse

Amazon has been testing Agility Robotics' bipedal robot known as “Digit” at its robotics research and development site south of Seattle. Digit consists of mobile robots which are built in a human-like shape and can move like a person while also grasping and handling items with robotic "arms" resembling a human.

The initial use for Digit has been to help employees with tote recycling, the repetitive process of picking up and moving empty totes once inventory has been completely picked out of them.

It is easy to see where humanoid robots could fit in well in the warehouse environment, which is dirty, dangerous and requires tasks involving heavy lifting and repetitive movement that can lead to strain and injury for human employees.

In addition, a 2024 study from AI-based staffing platform provider Instawork indicates that 43% of companies with warehouse and distribution facilities had lost revenue because of staffing shortages. So in many cases, warehouse robots could actually fill vacant jobs and extend the careers of existing employees, rather than replace them.

Brick-and-mortar store

About 10 years ago, human-like robotic store associates were all the rage in exhibit booths at the National Retail Federation Big Show. A number of U.S. retailers tested them for activities like greeting and answering basic customer questions but did not obtain hoped-for results.

However, 7-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd. has entered into a partnership that will result in the deployment of AI-equipped robots in its stores, with the ultimate goal of spreading robotic associates across the retail industry..

The Japanese operator and franchisor of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Japan is teaming with robotics company Telexistence to advance the creation of “Astra,” a humanoid robot equipped with generative AI capabilities.

By implementing Astra in real store environments, 7-Eleven and Telexistence said they aim to provide solutions that other retailers could also use to overcome “rising labor costs and workforce shortages, while redefining the customer experience."  

Astra robots will perform routine in-store operations, freeing human employees to focus on higher-level tasks that only people can deliver, the two companies said. Many retailers also face difficulties in adequately staffing stores, so as with warehouse robots in-store robots could actually augment and assist human workers instead of threatening their employment.

The initial Astra deployment in Seven-Eleven stores in Japan is targeted for 2029.

Delivery

Non-anthropomorphic delivery robots, which typically resemble a self-driving cooler on wheels, are already becoming increasingly common. And autonomous delivery drones are also essentially robotic in nature.

But Amazon pops up again in the humanoid retail robot conversation with reports it is building a "humanoid park" in San Francisco where it can experiment with prototype humanoid robots provided by Chinese robotics firm Unitreethat. The robots would deliver packages from Amazon Rivian electric delivery vans to customer doors.

In addition, Amazon is said to be developing agentic AI capabilities for the robots to understand and respond to natural language commands at its Lab126 research and development center in Sunnyvale, Calif. 

Amazon has been taking a sharp focus on the speed of its deliveries for some time. The online giant delivered more than 9 billion items via same-day or next-day globally for Prime members in 2024 at record speeds. 

Having humanoid robots bring packages from delivery vehicles to their final destination faster and more accurately than humans would make drivers more efficient while reducing their workload. 

And as retailers also face serious driver shortages, with the American Trucking Associations estimating the industry will have 160,000 fewer drivers than needed by 2028, this is another area where robots can help and not hinder humans in their employment.