When you think of shopping nowadays, chances are you are thinking of online shopping. Where you go to a certain online market, click some on an assortment of goods and service and check out, giving your address and paying for the purchase. You then sit in your home or office and wait for the delivery.
Well, there’s a new startup Robomart that puts the convenience store on wheels and drive it up to your doorstep. You can then pick your groceries from the shelves on wheels, pay for them, and it drives away.
“I believe we’re creating a new category. We think we are competing with the sidewalk robots,” argues Ali Ahmed, founder of Robomart, the autonomous grocery store on wheels.
While Ahmed believes they are competing with sidewalk robots, the truth of the matter is, they are competing with the humble convenience store down the street. Well, they are going to face the same challenges sidewalk robots are currently facing in California. There will be some tough challenges the startup will have to overcome, including traffic and parking charges.
As for competing with the local convenience store. Ahmed argues that the stores could actually purchase the Robomart to deliver goods to consumers. He also fronts the autonomous vehicles to wholesalers who want to go direct to the end consumer without the middleman.
Ahmed said customers also have the option of leasing the vehicle and all for a period of 24 months.
“It’s significantly cheaper than setting up a new store. And customers can shop for goods without pre-ordering.”
The Robomart comes fully equipped with a refrigerator and heating system. There are also plans to have separate trucks mimicking different section of an aisle inside a grocery store; a section for dairy, meat, vegetables, or poultry.
Another great advantage Ahmed points out to retailers is the Robomart will enable them to maintain all the data about their consumers. Instead of sharing it with other businesses like Uber, Instacart, and Postmates among others.
