The Amazon acquisition of Whole Foods is top-of-mind in retail and on Wall Street. Every retail and business expert has weighed in on the business implications of the pending merger. But what about consumers? In an opinion piece last week, New York Times contributor Stacy Torres suggested that shoppers don’t want to buy groceries from a robot.
The RTP team shares whether they believe this is a valid statement from Torres.
Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: There are so many emotional responses to the idea that human interaction could be eliminated from the physical shopping experience. I think about the cashiers and baggers at my local Shoprite or Trader Joe’s, for example. Shoprite, and other stores, often give bagger jobs to individuals who might not be able to get another job, possibly because of some kind of disability. At Trader Joe’s, I have some of the most interesting and fun conversations of the day when I’m chatting with the cashiers. I think I would definitely miss those interactions and feel-good moments. But I also think about the overall economic implications when people are replaced by robots or technology. The most compelling one that I heard about recently involved the possibility that self-driving trucks would take over long-distance hauling. In the meantime, many small, local economies along the way (diners, hotels, gas stations) would lose their livelihood. Definitely food for thought…
Adam Blair, Executive Editor: I’m really of two minds about this. I agree with many of Stacy Torres’ points about the way that front-line workers can provide a bit of human contact for people who may need it very badly — and even for people who just want a carbon-based life form to interact with in our increasingly screen-intensive world. However, it’s not up to retailers to operate as social services agencies. If there comes a point when a cashier-less Amazon Go-style store is the only thing that makes business sense, I’d be hard pressed to say a retailer should still employ people for old time’s sake. I also think about how frustrated I get with a barista-in-training at Starbucks that mangles my name and my order, and how much I hate waiting in line at the bank vs. using an ATM. Finding the right balance between the sometimes fallible human touch and the cold accuracy of machines will be THE challenge for retail (and a lot of other parts of society) over the next 10 or 15 years.
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Alicia Esposito, Content Strategist: The threat and possible implications of replacing humans with robots are very real, but I don’t think this will be a case where it occurs. First, Amazon has created thousands of jobs for people over the years — even with so much tech innovation. What’s also important to remember is that there will always be a need for human intervention — even if robots (or any kind of technology) are used. Humans need to help operate and develop technology; humans need to augment the shopping experience by actually chatting and engaging with shoppers; they need to be product experts and consultants — not just folks who scan food items. Plus, I think people are avoiding the real value of this acquisition for Amazon: It will be able to use Whole Foods stores as live distribution centers or pickup points for grocery items; and that there’s even a possibility of integrating local Whole Foods produce and branded goods into the Amazon Fresh experience. It isn’t about detracting from stores, but adding to Amazon’s capabilities. Frankly, it’s too early to tell what the next steps are, but I know I saw a lot of very excited people on my social media feeds when the news came out — myself included.
Klaudia Tirico, Features Editor: While the fact that we’re living in a world where we have conversations about whether or not robots will take over the workforce is fascinating (and kind of crazy), I don’t see it happening so suddenly. I can’t really stand behind Stacy Torres’ comments about whether or not customers want to buy groceries from a robot because I believe the two can (and should) coexist. Look at the Amazon Go concept: if you go to the job listings page for Amazon Go, there is a long list of job openings for a store that has no cashiers. And they’re not just really fancy tech jobs, either. Or look at it this way: Have virtual chatbots completely replaced phone representatives? No, because there are people who still want to talk to a human and not chat with a machine. It’s all about figuring out what your customers look for in customer service and giving them what they want. I don’t think it should entirely be the retailers’ decision.
Glenn Taylor, Senior Editor: There always will be people who want the one-on-one interaction, just like there will always be people who require some kind of human assistance to make their shopping trip easier. I think Torres is overreacting to a possible future that many people probably don’t foresee happening in the first place. Sure, you’re going to see more retailers try out technology that takes the heat off their associates, or renders a portion of them obsolete. But we hear these kinds of stories every year in any industry; this in-store tech evolution is just going to push brands into finding new ways to make people relevant within their physical locations. Obviously, the Amazon case is going to be the most extreme version — the brand didn’t have any stores until recently so it has the creative freedom to try out experimental tactics — so whatever imitation any grocer would attempt would likely be on a much smaller scale in the first place.
Matt Halchak, Editorial Intern: “You don’t want to buy groceries from a robot.” Really? Millennials and Generation Z are forward-thinking and fast-moving. Look around. Fast-casual dining and in-home options like Blue Apron have become more appealing than sit-down chain restaurants. Amazon’s Alexa, Dollar Shave Club and countless new services have made goods and services more easily accessible than ever, so it does not surprise me that the grocery industry may be heading in the same direction. Retailers today are focusing on leveraging new technologies to improve the shopping experience, but personally, I don’t see buying groceries as “an experience;” I see it as an errand. Based on the offering of grocery-delivery services such as Instacart and Shipt, I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling. I agree with Stacy Torres’ points about people who may want, or need, human interaction in their shopping experience and for that reason, I don’t think humans are going be completely shut out from the grocery industry. But as retail technologies and AI continue to develop, I think most people will be just fine with buying groceries from a robot.
