Lowe’s reboots customer engagement with in-store robots

Eager to streamline the in-store shopping experience, Lowe’s will introduce a fleet of retail service robots this fall throughout select stores in the San Francisco Bay area.



Called LoweBot, the kiosk-like robot will help consumers better navigate the store and merchandise, scan inventory and check stock availability. Employees that use the device as a sales assistant will be armed with real-time information, enabling them to deliver more personalized customer service, including specific project expertise. Meanwhile, the device’s artificial intelligence capabilities capture real-time data interactions and detect patterns that can influence business decisions.



Prompted by the success of a test conducted in its San Jose Orchard Supply Hardware store, the chain is preparing to roll out LoweBot to 11 San Jose, Calif.-based stores over a seven-month period beginning in September. The limited rollout will help Lowe’s determine how robots can further meet the needs of both its customers and employees.



"For nearly two years, we've studied how robots helped customers more effectively navigate our San Jose Orchard Supply Hardware store, find products, and assist employees with inventory scanning," said Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe’s Innovation Labs, the company's disruptive innovation hub. "Now, we are applying those learnings to a focused group of Lowe's stores to see how the technology supports a broader customer and employee base.”



LoweBot was developed through a partnership between Lowe's Innovation Labs and Fellow Bots, a Silicon Valley-based technology company specializing in the design and development of autonomous service robots. The team also partnered for the OSHbot pilot.