Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.12
June 24, 2023
…but the central banks will have to see. Was Shopify's sale of mobile robot company 6 River Systems to Ocado (itself said to be up for purchase by Amazon.com) a sign of weakness in certain segments? Sharma: Supply chain issues were a big problem during the pandemic, as well as high demand from consumers. Home delivery had become critical, and then there were shortages on the worker side. You'd think that supply chains and warehousing would already be automated, but at least 50% in the U.S. is largely manual. Coupled with e-commerce demand and worker shortages, you'll have serious problems.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 20.60
May 18, 2023
…IAM Robotics' new order-fulfillment system comes just weeks after Shopify announced that it was selling 6 River Systems (6RS) to Ocado. Sources told Robotics 24/7 that Shopify had laid off as much as 85% of 6 River Systems' staff before selling it. Link said that news has probably left some of 6 River Systems' customers wondering what will happen next. He compared the transaction to Amazon purchasing Kiva Systems in 2012 and how much of that technology went in house and was no longer available to customers. “[Customers] are sitting there saying, 'I got my supply chain technology wrapped up…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.46
May 12, 2023
…AMR users faced more uncertainty with the news of Shopify Inc.'s layoffs and sale of 6 River Systems to Ocado Group PLC. According to industry observers, relatively few mobile robot suppliers are profitable, but most agreed that Locus is one of them. DHL Supply Chain said it plans to deploy Locus Origin robots across its global network of warehouses and distribution centers. The companies claimed that it is one of the industry's biggest AMR deals to date, growing from nearly 4,000 robots since 2021. DHL seeks select robot providers As a major third-party logistics provider (3PL), DHL works with several…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 19.56
May 08, 2023
…customers that the market is still evolving. E-commerce provider Shopify Inc. laid off as much as 85% of 6 River Systems' staff prior to selling it to Ocado Group PLC, partly in response to falling customer orders, sources told Robotics 24/7. CEO Tobias Lütke also announced that Shopify was laying off 20% of its total staff and that it was selling Shopify Logistics (formerly Deliverr) to Flexport. AMR market allegedly growing Market research firms have been predicting steady growth. The global market for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) could expand from $2 billion (U.S.) in 2022 to $9 billion by 2032,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.74
May 05, 2023
…response to the tough financial market. Yesterday, e-commerce company Shopify announced the sale of mobile robot maker 6 River Systems to Ocado Group. Shopify also said it was laying off 20% of its staff. At the Cascadia Connect, Robotics, Automation, and AI event this week, a group of investors in the robotics industry discussed the economy and their considerations as part of the “ROI in RAAI: Investor Perspectives” panel. The discussion was moderated by Firdaus Pohowalla, a managing director at Cascadia Capital who helps leads the Seattle-based bank's robotics, automation, and AI division. The panel included investors who provide capital…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 41.02
May 04, 2023
…acquire mobile robot provider 6 River Systems LLC from Shopify Inc. The companies did not disclose the financial terms. “We are delighted to welcome new colleagues to the Ocado family,” said James Matthews, CEO of Ocado Technology, in a brief press release. “6 River Systems brings exciting new IP and possibilities to the wider Ocado technology estate, as well as valuable commercial and R&D expertise in non-grocery retail segments.” Hatfield, U.K.-based Ocado Group provides e-commerce order-fulfilment systems to large grocery retailers worldwide. For the past two decades, the company said it has developed robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, simulation,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.13
March 15, 2023
…picking reach beyond AMRs Jerome Dubois, vice president of Shopify Logistics, told Robotics 24/7 that the app helps address some of the limitations that come up with using an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) to pick items. For instance, mobile robots can’t hold products of all sizes, and they are limited in the areas they can navigate. “We know within our existing system and existing install base and our existing customer use cases that oftentimes there are less than ideal environments for our [AMRs] to be running in,” he said. “Aisles can be too narrow, or customers are using man-up or…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.00
February 06, 2023
…has more 60 customers including big names such as Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, OpenCart, Amazon and eBay. It added that it provides “a hybrid picking solution that allows humans and machines to co-deliver a world-class efficiency manual picking operation.” These are the robots being used in the new facility. Source: Geek+ Geek+ robots are picking 3.6 million units per month at facility Geek+ develops robotic systems designed for warehouse use. The autonomous mobile robot maker is based out of Beijing. Geek+ said two of its systems are being used at the facility and are processing 3.6 million orders per month. The…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.12
January 13, 2023
…people. Some other robotics players that have announced layoffs in the past six months include Amazon Robotics, Pudu Robotics, Shopify (parent of 6 River Systems), Nuro Inc., and Starship Technologies.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.40
January 13, 2023
…installed a WMS [warehouse management system], and created our SVT/Shopify robotics store. [Editor's note: Shopify acquired 6RS in 2019.] We bought boxes of ramen and put them on the shelves. Now, when someone gets a 6RS demo, they can place an order, and next thing you know, the robots are moving. They can help pick it, and the visitor can get an e-mail that the order is complete. A customer can see all the workflows, ending with the picked order and confirmation. We're showing this experience from the consumer point of view all the way through. Some e-commerce companies tell…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.26
October 04, 2022
…It is also the official fulfillment network partner of Shopify and is rapidly scaling a network of warehouses across the U.S. to meet growing demand from online retailers. “Working with Shopify at the launch of its fulfillment network showed us we could scale with our WMS,” said Barnett. “It and other Fortune 100 companies pushed us to make our products better. Our mission is to drive the cost of fulfillment down.” “To get through this economy with lower-margin products, inVia can help merchants push through that volume,” she said. “This helps the whole chain and allows merchants to get fast…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.82
September 27, 2022
…Chuck AMR fulfills millions of units each week for companies including GXO, Tagg Logistics, Crocs, DHL, and Office Depot. Shopify Inc. acquired the company in 2019.
