PAL Robotics

Barcelona, 
Spain
http://pal-robotics.com/

• Booth: 260

StockBot: the autonomous robot for daily inventory-tracking and data collection

Have your stock located and gather in-store intelligence

Using RFID or cameras, StockBot accurately locates each product in store as frequently as you want. This is key to outstanding store management; improving your restocking system, developing money-mapping strategies and for taking better data-driven decisions. StockBot generates data that meets your needs and seamlessly integrates with your systems.

Start working without any store modifications – a single initial set-up is all that StockBot needs and the robot adapts to different sized spaces automatically. Stockbot navigates safely in changing spaces and with people around, even if the shop is open. Collect data at any time with StockBot.

Keep it on track

PAL Robotics' mission is to enhance people’s quality of life through service robotics and automation technologies. Since 2004, we have designed and manufactured highly integrated and reliable solutions for service industries and research institutions. We have solutions that are used worldwide for industry, logistics, service and retail.

 Press Releases

• Decathlon chooses PAL Robotics’ StockBot to deploy across stores worldwide (Nov 24, 2021)

  In the world of retail automation, it is clear that many store managers are still lacking the tools to provide the best possible service and experience to their customers. In addition, management is not always aware of the complete picture in order to be able to implement changes and improvements to in-store operations. These are just some of the reasons that are contributing to the rise in popularity of retail robots. One major retailer, that is aware of the benefits and potential of our retail robot for their stores and customers is Decathlon. Decathlon is a multinational sports retailer with 1,714 stores in 61 countries.

  Decathlon and PAL Robotics have launched a global partnership after PAL Robotics’ StockBot inventory tracking and data collection solution was selected as one of the retail robot solutions to deploy across stores worldwide, assisting the team and elevating in-store experience. The retailer has implemented the solution in order to improve in-store operations and efficiencies so that teammates are able to dedicate more time helping customers for a better customer experience, as well as helping improve product availability rates. The trial that originally took place in Decathlon Singapore, has now followed on to widespread rollout of StockBot solutions across multiple stores worldwide. 

  Where is the solution being used and what will it do?

  PAL Robotics’ StockBot solution was first implemented in Decathlon Singapore, which was more recently followed by implementations in other countries around the world, such as France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. Discussions are also ongoing on further deployment opportunities in other countries. 

  StockBot reads and detects all the products in-store and then validates the data. Using this type of technology helps gain a better visibility of stock, and of course, automate inventory tracking and workflow. StockBot provides data on stock and business and is easily integrated with RFID tags in-store. With StockBot once set up, pressing one button means the robot is able to do inventories automatically, in order to save time. 

  Decathlon was looking for a solution to be able to provide accurate data on stock, as well as save time taken to do stock taking manually, impacting on in-store efficiency and productivity. StockBot is easily deployed within different stores as it does not require any layout modifications and is seamlessly integrated with the existing software systems.

  Decathlon Singapore’s experiences using StockBot

  Decathlon Singapore originally implemented StockBot in their store in 2019. Mathieu Blanchard, Technical Director of Decathlon Decathlon South East Asia said, “for any retailer, ensuring that customers are visiting your store and will find the products they are looking for is crucial.”

  Janice Morin, Sports Leader for Trail Running in Decathlon Singapore explained, “before we had StockBot stock-taking work was very laborious, it was very manual and we allocated a lot of time to do our inventory. Now it takes us two hours to finish all the inventory and then we allocate our time to do other things like helping customers.” 

  Dr. Jordi Pagès, Head of Retail & Intralogistics Solutions at PAL Robotics said, “at PAL Robotics we are delighted to be working with Decathlon, a long-established global retailer, to help them improve their inventory tracking and operations, so they can focus more on customer experience. Our StockBot solution has been used in apparel, supermarkets, and distribution centers around the world, from Europe and Asia, to Oceania. For us, it’s very important to work together with retailers to help them develop and update their processes, so they can then focus on other benefits.”

  Decathlon the multinational sports retailer

  Decathlon is a family-owned company, founded in 1976, and inspired by the belief that the best sports products should be accessible to everyone. Ever-evolving and high-performance design, the best quality at the lowest possible price, and expert advice that customers of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels can access in-store or online, from anywhere, at any time, is what makes them who they are. Visit the Decathlon website to learn more about the multinational sports retailer.

  For a number of years, PAL Robotics has been helping leading retailers automate their processes, strengthen their relations with customers, and stay ahead in the retail sector with service robots.  PAL Robotics’ StockBot robot automates daily inventory tracking and provides data to inform decisions. The platform provides accurate stock information to smartly manage stores, while seamlessly integrating with retailer’s systems. PAL Robotics’ StockBot solution is the most mature in the inventory tracking solutions market and is ready to use with a single setup.  

  If you would like to learn more about our retail robot StockBot make sure you visit our website to read more. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to ask more about how to use StockBot, and StockBot’s capabilities for improving operations in your store. 

  Read the full article here.

• StockBot with EasyFlow out-of-shelf analytics offers complete retail-data solution (Nov 24, 2021)

  Traditionally, retailers have relied on employees to monitor shelf stock levels throughout the day, a tedious task that involves a lot of guesswork and can be a challenge in a fast-paced retail environment. A number of factors can contribute to out of stock situations in retail. These include delays in the supply chain in areas such as production and distribution, unreliable shelf-level data, disorganised storerooms, and the effectiveness of store employees in managing the journey from the storeroom to the shelf.

  In the food retail market, in particular, the last stage in the logistics chain is the most important. Yet the last few meters in the chain – the route from the storeroom to the shelf in-store – is the most costly and challenging to manage. For retailers, it’s essential to ensure that their products are available in stores. Issues with stock availability connect directly to loss of sales and an increased likelihood for customers to use a competitor brand instead. 

  In order to address some of these challenges, PAL Robotics has teamed up with Agmis EasyFlow to streamline the shelf-restocking processes. Combining PAL Robotics’ inventory tracking and data collection robot StockBot, with Agmis’ EasyFlow analytics software, together we have developed a retail-data solution, that combines the unique characteristics of StockBot Vision and autonomous navigation, and EasyFlow out-of-shelf Computer Vision powered analytics, to identify when a particular product stock on a shelf is running low.

  The solution constantly monitors the store and shelf stock levels, providing near real-time information to the store manager, and produces notifications to the store employees when a particular shelf requires replenishment. This combined single autonomous platform improves your stock management process through automation, helping to quickly react to restocking needs, and covers large areas with a single device without the need for additional equipment.

  How it works: collecting in-store data using product images and monitoring product stock at a shelf level

  StockBot with EasyFlow is a complete retail-data solution that uses in-store images to provide the data you need to make decisions and improve your in-store strategies.

  • StockBot Vision: autonomously navigates throughout the store and collects in-store data using product images.
  • Agmis EasyFlow Analytics: analyzes the images provided by StockBot and monitors product stock at a shelf level and produces notifications when restocking is required.

  There are two types of StockBot robot – StockBot Vision which displays pictures along with the location of each picture, and StockBot RFID which displays the tag IDs (EPCs) and location of these tags. It’s also possible to combine both types of data with StockBot Combo. 

  Cover large areas with a single device and be able to react to restocking needs fast

  The combined solution by PAL Robotics and Agmis of retail-data brings some of the following benefits to retailers:

  • Improve your stock management process through automation
    Introduce automation to your shelf restocking process to improve product shelf availability and out of stock rates in-store.
  • Cover large areas with a single device
    The solution reduces the need for additional cameras for shelf monitoring. StockBot covers stores of all sizes and provides regular updates even when the store is open.
  • Be able to react to restocking needs fast
    Be provided with up-to-date information on product stock levels at a shelf level and identify when restocking is required.
  • Automate management of stock across multiple locations
    View multi-location shelf tracking, as well as historic stock level analytics.
  • Get the data you need to improve money mapping strategies
    View data to help you make decisions, improving your restocking systems and money-mapping strategies.
  • Ensure better product placement to increase sales
    Use planogram checking to help track how the products appear to consumers on shelf and show the products’ share-of-shelf percentage at specific in-store locations.
  • Get started using StockBot with EasyFlow without changing your store layout
    A single initial set-up is all that is needed to automate data collection in your store, keeping the store layout as it is. Analytics are provided in an easy to use interface.

  A single initial set-up is all that is needed to automate data collection in your store, keeping the store layout as it is. Analytics are provided in an easy to use interface.

  StockBot by PAL Robotics is an autonomous platform automating in-store inventory tracking and data collection. StockBot is the most mature solution in the inventory tracking and data collection market and is trusted by retailers worldwide. We offer a strong quality of service and work with some of the biggest retailers, including Decathlon Singapore, in order to ensure our solution keeps improving to be able to meet industry demands.

  EasyFlow – Real World Analytics works with video data analysis to quantify what happens in the real-world. By harnessing Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence, EasyFlow solutions turn real world data into actionable business insights. EasyFlow provides solutions to retail, construction, manufacturing and aerodiagnostics industries, and is an AI product development spinoff from software developer, Agmis.

  To learn more and see visuals on our retail solution StockBot combined with EasyFlow analytics, take a look at the brochure. To find out more about StockBot, visit our website. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to ask about how to use StockBot, and StockBot’s capabilities for improving operations in your store.

  Read the full article here.

• How to get started using StockBot to improve inventory tracking and money mapping in retail (Nov 24, 2021)

  Seamless data capture and inventory tracking in today’s retail sector is essential to ensure efficient store operations, successful money-mapping strategies, and above all, can help to contribute to improved customer experience and increased revenue.

  Gaining a better understanding of the most profitable locations in-store means maximum benefits can be drawn from those locations. Rather than guessing which stock may sell best in which location, money mapping displays all the data from sales in-store to be able to sell more of what customers want and have it most suitably placed.

  Use of robotic automation in retail with technologies that perform tasks such as inventory tracking and data collection to improve operations, money mapping, and customer experience is growing rapidly, showing their potential to bring some of the improvements needed in the industry. 

  At PAL Robotics, for a number of years, we have been helping some of the biggest retailers automate their processes, strengthen their relations with customers, and stay ahead in the retail sector with our StockBot automated inventory tracking and data collection solution.

  Using StockBot, it’s possible to get an analysis of sales that shows the quantity of stock sold in different areas of the store

  Getting started with StockBot for inventory tracking and data collection in your store is straightforward. As a first step, StockBot makes a map of the store. During the installation these are the first steps to consider:

  1. The installer will set up StockBot for you using the remote control that comes with the robot so that StockBot moves around to get to know the store or warehouse. 
  2. The remote control can be used to show the robot the inventory path to take, or StockBot can generate paths itself through furniture detection.
  3. You can divide your store into as many areas as you like: for example, separating the store by product categories.  
  4. This map can be combined with data from the point of sale to create a money map, including the top sellers in the store as well as their locations. 
  5. Using an inventory tracking solution daily can make it easier to understand which products sell most in which locations. 

  When looking at StockBot data it’s helpful to consider sales concerning both placement and pricing. For example, is the placement of the product optimal, or is it hidden by other products, and is the pricing appropriate to be placed at the point of sale? It’s also possible through StockBot to see how different combinations of products in-store displays affect sales. 

  The dates on money maps will help to make results more meaningful in terms of seasonal products and seasonal promotions, and changes to store layouts. Observing money maps over time will also help to determine whether it’s the products or the locations that are having the strongest impact on sales. 

  Being able to track where more sales are generated makes it much easier to repeat success, as well as making it possible to re-use successful displays and record other items or displays that worked less well.

  The benefits of money mapping include:

  • Being able to improve store layout
  • Providing customer experience insights
  • Helping increase sales and revenue

  StockBot generates data that can be manipulated for numerous applications and to suit the needs of each store thanks to inventory tracking

  StockBot provides different types of data to suit the needs of each store. There are two different types of StockBot robot: 

  • StockBot Vision: pictures along with the location of each picture are provided. StockBot Vision offers the use of vision cameras to enable image recognition of items of stock. 
  • StockBot RFID: the tag IDs (EPCs) and location of these tags are provided: StockBot RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) uses radio waves to track tags attached to stock items. Inside these tags is electronically stored information that is counted or ‘read’ by an RFID reader. 

  StockBot also generates data that can be manipulated for numerous applications such as store floor management, supply chain visibility, process automation & accuracy, omnichannel retailing, promotional activities, returns, locating items, loss prevention, and cross-selling. Those have a direct impact on store/brand reputation, customer satisfaction, and thus on sales; providing essential information that allows you to further improve your overall performance and daily operations. 

  StockBot adapts to work across large stores as well as in the smallest spaces. Our certified StockBot robot is the most mature in the inventory tracking solutions market and in recent years StockBot has been used in supermarkets, apparel, sports retailers, warehouses, and distribution centers around the world, from Europe and Asia to the US. 

  You can have your StockBot solution set up and working in less than a day with a single setup. Staff don’t need specialised training to operate StockBot: after the installation which includes setting up the initial store map, StockBot is ready to work autonomously, even around customers in-store. 

  StockBot is used in Decathlon Singapore where the solution provides data on stock and business, as well as most importantly, helping ensure customers find the products they are looking for. See StockBot in action at Decathlon here.

  If you would like to learn more about our retail robot StockBot make sure you visit our website to read more. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to ask more about how to use StockBot, and StockBot’s capabilities for improving operations in your store.

  Read the full article here.

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