Intu introduces robot retail assistants

Shopping centre group Intu has introduced Bo, Europe’s first ever ‘shop-bot’ robot that will interact with shoppers at Intu Milton Keynes.

The robotic retail assistant will direct shoppers to different parts of the centre, ask them about their shopping experience, as well as tell them about special offers they can take up at different shops in the centre.

Developed by robot specialist BotsAndUs, the one-metre-high Bo is one of seven start-up businesses collaborating with Intu to test new retail technology at its shopping centres and online at intu.co.uk.

Intu chief executive David Fischel said: “Retail has always been an inventive industry and the UK has remained at the forefront of this. We’ve launched Intu Accelerate to drive forward innovative technology that will entertain and engage shoppers and help businesses to flourish.”

Andrei Danescu, BotsAndUs chief executive, added: “Robots in retail are still very much a novelty, especially when supporting shoppers with practical tasks such as helping them to find what they are looking for or to take advantage of the latest promotions. We are extremely excited to work with Intu and bring Bo to a British shopping centre in a European premiere.”

In addition, Intu is also trialing queue-jumping tech with WoraPay at Intu Trafford Centre in partnership with several of the shopping centre’s cafés and coffee shops. It allows customers to order and pay for their purchases on their phone as they shop and then collect them when they are ready.

The innovations are being trailed all part of the Intu Accelerate initiative that is running for 10 weeks. Other companies taking part includes: GoInStore, which uses physical retail spaces to drive up web traffic and orders by creating live in-store video experiences for online customers; Toky Woky, a community-based live-chat facility where anyone who is browsing in an online store can receive real-time advice from fellow shoppers; and Soza Health, which offers customers health assessments and tailored recommendations to optimise their health.

Image: courtesy of Intu/BotsAndUs