Mind the Step: Rise of the Robots
By Glynn Davis |
We’ve long been scared of robots as the invaders who are likely to take over the world although we know the Daleks failed because they couldn’t climb stairs.
Things have progressed somewhat since the fictional enemy of Dr Who roamed the Sci-Fi earth but we are still not talking about global domination. Robots are more likely to be found cleaning supermarket floors and carrying plates to tables in restaurants.
But such use-cases should not be dismissed because as labour costs rise and companies look to boost their efficiency and deploy their workforce on more value-added tasks the modern day robot has a growing – initially mundane – role to play.
I took a trip up to Milton Keynes for a showcase day of the robots available from RoboMercato. They are a platform through which a cornucopia of different robots can be sourced. Stephen Halstead, CEO at RoboMercato, says the company “sources, sells, finances, installs and services” equipment from various manufacturers including Botinkit, Pudu, Keenon and DEEP Robotics.
Since launching earlier this year the company has built up 40 live projects across retail, hospitality, three-party logistics businesses, and cleaning companies. Halstead finds smaller clients want turnkey solutions that include servicing contracts while larger organisations feel they have the resources to handle this ongoing element.
Many companies enter the area of area through cleaning robots that can be easily deployed and have a return on investment of a mere seven to eight months. Expect to see more such deployments and other more complex installations too but don’t expect global domination just yet.
Glynn Davis, editor, Retail Insider
Fathers & Daughters Dine – Bubala King’s Cross
By Glynn Davis |
I’d heard plenty of good things about Bubala. One of those things was that it is vegetarian but it does not overtly classify itself as such. Instead preferring to sit in the camp of simply offering tasty food irrespective of the classification of the ingredients. This certainly suits me and my daughter on the basisRead full story
What’s going on with Borough Market
By Glynn Davis |
In August, I spent a delightful morning at the Bread Ahead outlet in Borough Market, where the dean of nearby Southwark Cathedral, alongside people from the local community, blessed the bakery and the first harvested wheat of the year on what is called Lammas Day. Everyone then moved across to the cathedral, where a serviceRead full story
Vending to the will of the masses
By Glynn Davis |
When visiting my parents in Yorkshire, I was told about a new stand-alone milkshake store, The Milk Tap, in a small village outside the town of Doncaster that my daughter was particularly keen to try out. But I suspected there was little chance it would be open mid-morning on a Tuesday. We made the journeyRead full story
Tesco Christmas review – nostalgia and innovation
By Glynn Davis |
As you would expect the mighty Tesco’s Christmas preview is a multi-floor affair encompassing everything from food and drink to the kind of festive fare which will be on offer in its cafes to home decoration and gifting. It is always welcome at the Tesco event to be speaking directly to the people involved inRead full story
B&Q Christmas Preview
By Glynn Davis |
Retail Insider was greeted at the door of the annual B&Q Christmas preview by a huge felted inflatable Nutcracker teddy costing £250. Apparently inflatables are going to be huge this year – both figuratively and literally. In fact the Halloween dragon was actually too big to fit into the courtyard and had to be leftRead full story
How to be both a chain and independent
By Glynn Davis |
Wikipedia describes a chain restaurant as: “A dining establishment that operates as part of a larger group of locations under the same brand name. These restaurants share standardised menus, decor and customer experiences, and are managed by a centralised corporate entity or through franchise agreements.” I don’t like the sound of that. I’m sure I’mRead full story
Bringing Michelin mainstream
By Glynn Davis |
When dining at the now departed Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in Knightsbridge, the main draw for me and my family was its Original DB Burger that put the Michelin star chef Daniel Boulud’s spin on the quintessential fast-food dish. Shredded oxtail and short ribs were braised with chopped truffle andRead full story
Making some more bread
By Glynn Davis |
Normally trends work like this. The luxury, high end of a sector produces some outlandishly expensive product or concept that is then picked up by the mainstream market where less extravagant, cheaper, mass-market replicas proliferate. This established scenario has been somewhat turned on its head at Claridge’s Bakery, which sits on a mews road behindRead full story
Completing the set
By Glynn Davis |
For food lovers, a dinner in Paris is always going to be a special occasion, especially when you can let the budget go out of the window. However, on one occasion, my wife and I found ourselves in the city after a particularly punishing spending period, so we decided we’d be a little careful onRead full story