New Era of Retail Cleaning Begins with Latest AMR Innovations

August 07, 2024 8:18 AM by Tennant Company

Posted in Cleaning Solutions, Innovation & Technology, Industry News & Trends,

It’s become a familiar sight—autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) cleaning floors in retail stores with humans attending to other higher-value, hands-on tasks. AMRs are an increasingly essential and practical part of retail floor cleaning as big box stores and other retailers put them to work to solve key challenges and create a competitive advantage.

According to Coherent Market Insights’ Retail Robots Market Analysis, the robotics market is poised to skyrocket from $7.1 billion in 2020 to $55.8 billion by 2028—with CAGR soaring 30.1%. “While initial rollouts of such developments come at a price, companies are looking at the long-term benefits and the overall effect on business, aiding in overcoming restraint,” the report found.

This aligns with analysts’ predictions that robotics adoption in retail will surge through 2030—with the use of robotics in retail expected to grow nearly 40% annually, according to ABI Research. Furthermore, Retail Dive reported that 70% of routine tasks are predicted to be completely or partially automated by 2025, based on the 2023 Connected Retail Experience Study by Incisiv and Verizon Business.

Advantage in adopting autonomous cleaning robots

Retailers have a “new normal” to contend with—perpetual labor shortages and heightened customer expectations. They need to do more with less to meet customer demand for cleanliness.

Meanwhile, the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March 2024, showed little net change over the year for retail workforces. Some retailers in general merchandise, health and personal care, and automotive parts, accessories, and tires reported employment gains. However, those increases were offset by job losses in building material, garden equipment and supplies stores, as well as electronics and appliance retailers.

As these two headwinds collide, commercial floor cleaning AMRs meet the moment. Robotic floor cleaning machines provide a powerful solution in a tight labor market with rising costs and heightened customer expectations.

Relying on AMRs to frequently and methodically scrub floors frees up time for limited human staff to focus on wiping down and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and other key infection-control measures. All of which are highly visible activities that demonstrate to consumers that retailers care about clean.

X4 ROVR Robotic Scrubber—the latest robotic floor cleaning machine innovation

Tennant AMRs have made major inroads in retail store cleaning and appealing to customers. To date, 5,476 Tennant autonomous mobile robots have been deployed in retail operations—cleaning more than 93 billion ft2 of retail space. This translates to an average of 13,000 ft2 cleaned per day, per machine, by robotic floor cleaning machines.

Now, Tennant has introduced the next-generation X4 ROVR robotic scrubber that ushers in a new era for autonomous retail floor cleaning. It’s not just a smart floor scrubber, it’s a purpose-built compact powerhouse that combines 150 years of Tennant expertise with the cutting-edge Gen 3 technology of BrainOS® Clean Suite.

The X4 ROVR robotic scrubber is like nothing the retail industry has seen before, featuring new sensors, new controllers, and an entirely new software platform. It’s also smaller, more agile, more adaptable, easy to use, and versatile. All of this translates to simplified cleaning in highly trafficked, often restricted environments like retail.

The new X4 ROVR robotic scrubber integrates seamlessly with existing cleaning protocols and can scrub at full power for up to two hours before high-capacity lithium batteries need to be recharged. The robotic scrubber also has enhanced computer vision to clean retail floors anytime—morning or night. In addition, it can turn around and back up to navigate its way out of tight spaces.

Jump on the robotic cleaning revolution

There’s never been a better time to establish a robotic floor cleaning strategy and implement AMRs. Robotic floor cleaning machines bring substantial value to retailers: effectively managing costs, improving operational consistency, re-deploying labor, and improving customer experience.

Now, with the introduction of Tennant’s X4 ROVR, retailers have even greater reason to jump on the robotics revolution. The next wave of AMR innovation is here and ready to help retailers overcome challenges and create competitive advantage.

Get the Tennant retail AMR infographic.

Read more about why your retail operation needs a robotics cleaning strategy.

Learn more about robotic floor scrubbers from Tennant.

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