As we enter November not only are temperatures dropping but many people are starting to relax on their social distancing and mask-wearing measures. With that, many places are starting to see spikes and new daily record numbers of coronavirus cases. With the concern for cleanliness and sanitation now more important than ever, some retailers are thinking outside of the box to address these issues.
Midwestern retailer Hy-Vee is adapting a state-of-the-art method of sanitation in response to the pandemic. The West Des Moines, IA-based supermarket chain just announced that it will be the first retailer to introduce the Sterile Cart – an automated system that is designed with a two-stage spray system that utilizes a dry in place, food-grade disinfectant that has been proven to kill 99.9 percent of germs and viruses. It cleans several carts quickly and consistently, eliminating the need for store employees to manually clean each cart throughout the day and it sanitizes the entire cart, not just the handles and high-touch areas. Plus, with such a small footprint (6 by 4 feet), it can be installed in the area where carts are staged and returned with little or no hassle. By mid-November, more than 200 Hy-Vee stores across its eight-state region will have this system in operation.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has been our desire to put Hy-Vee customers’ minds at ease with thorough sanitization measures. We are always looking at innovative ways to improve store operations, improve the shopping experience for customers and, most importantly, ensure the health and safety of our customers and our employees,” said Randy Edeker, chairman, CEO and president of Hy-Vee, Inc.
Another AI sanitizing solution that member-only warehouse operator Sam’s Club is turning to is to employ the use of robotic janitors. Yes, that’s right – robotic janitors. According to an article on CNN.com, the Bentonville, AR-based company is partnering up with an AI company called Brain Corp to bring in 372 autonomous floor scrubbers to all Sam’s locations. With shoppers not only concerned about limiting contact with other people but also desiring vigilant sanitation practices in the stores they frequent, this can be a great solution that can help retailers not only keep store cleanliness as a priority, but can also shift the human workers to the necessary tasks of stocking products and addressing online grocery orders. Sister company Walmart had already announced in April 2019 that they had incorporated more than 300 AI floor scrubbers into their stores with the intent to add them to an additional 1,500 locations. The cleaner is equipped with Brain Corp’s self-driving operating system, BrainOS which has the capability to navigate autonomously, avoid obstacles, adapt to changing environments, manage data, generate reports, and seamlessly interact with end-users and other robots.
“This cleaner is another great example of technology helping make the Walmart job better—rather than riding on a floor-cleaning machine for several hours, the associate is now working with robotics to complete their duties,” said John Crecelius, Walmart senior VP of central operations. “The machine allows our associates more time to focus on completing other tasks within the role, but most importantly, it frees them up to serve our customers better.” The autonomous floor cleaners operate alongside “associates by utilizing a simple and intuitive ‘teach and repeat’ approach, which allows associates to easily deploy the machine and adjust cleaning routes as the environment changes,” Brain Corp stated.
On the flip side, Walmart is getting rid of a different type of robot it had employed to help keep track of shelf inventory. The big-box retailer has ended its five-year partnership with Bossa Nova Robotics. According to the Wall Street Journal, which first broke the news of this story, Walmart discovered simpler solutions using its human employees (who are now walking aisles more frequently to fill online orders) coupled with different automated technologies. This must come as a relief to many workers, who have increasingly been witnessing robotics and automation take over some or all of their duties. However, this relief is probably very short-lived as the company has been very forthcoming and proactive in trying out new technologies and robotics in an effort to reach optimum efficiency in all aspects of its operations.
Closer to home, we recently got news that H&S Bakery, the parent company of the retail-oriented Schmidt Baking Company, will be introducing a new foodservice concept for the company called Kneads in the tony Harbor East neighborhood of its headquarter city, Baltimore. Slated to open in the summer of 2021, the 17,000 square foot space will be a bakery and café that seats more than 150 and will specialize in handcrafted bread and baked goods, all made from scratch in-house. It will also feature a bakehouse enclosed by glass walls through which customers will be able to directly observe the baking on-site. Additionally, there will be a cafe where customers can grab gourmet soups, sandwiches and pastries, and in the evenings the offerings will expand to include a menu of pairing options that will be complemented by wine or beer flights. The space, which the company describes as “modern and industrial, yet warm and rustic” will feature an indoor mezzanine, an outdoor patio, and a to-go window that is accessible via the sidewalk. The bakeshop and café also plans on collaborating with a local coffee brewer and food vendors to help showcase their offerings with a curated selection of merchandise.
H&S Bakery has been a family-run business since it was first founded in 1943 and now spans four generations. Is that newest generation that CEO Bill Paterakis credits with being responsible for coming up with the idea for Kneads.
“The concept of Kneads was born from the fourth generation of H&S Bakery family members who continue to uphold the company’s core values of both innovation and community engagement,” stated Paterakis. “It is incredibly rewarding to see this next generation honor our roots of making hand-crafted, artisanal bread and baked goods, with an updated and thoroughly modern approach.”
And according to one of the members of the newest generation, Kira Paterakis, the communications liaison for Kneads, the project is not just about food and drinks. “Post-launch, we are excited to roll out a variety of programming, including baking classes to connect locals and youth baking initiatives for Baltimore City children. We look forward to not only providing a hub for the neighborhood to come together, but also to continuing H&S Bakery’s tradition of being a positive steward within the community.”
It’s the ability of this company to pivot with changing times coupled with its commitment to producing quality products that continues to make it successful, so I have no doubt that this concept will be another feather in H&S Bakery’s cap. I’m looking forward to being a frequent supporter of their newest endeavor.
Until next month…
Karen can be contacted via email at [email protected].