The Philippine retail industry will soon be experiencing a major breakthrough that will change the shopping experience for Filipinos.
As reported, robot concierges will soon be dominating the country’s SM Supermalls. The mall chain will be employing its newest interactive mall attendant.
The supermalls company has partnered with a technology company called Cal-Comp Technology (Philippines) Inc. to launch the New Era AI Robotic Service in its malls nationwide.
With this initiative, there will soon be English-speaking robots in the malls to help customers find a store. They will also serve as source of information on latest mall-wide promotions.
The first ever in-mall smart customer service robot in the country will make its debut appearance at the mall’s SM Megamall branch in the first quarter of 2019.
The robot will provide seamless customer service by directing mall-goers and answering queries about mall shops and tenant promos.
Moreover, the large screen and speakers on the robot provide real time promotion with interactive wayfinding service with more relevant results and less effort.
All of these are going to be possible through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the service robots.
The tech company’s partnership with the supermalls will revolutionise the local retail industry and everyone’s excited.
The partnership will bring customers another fun innovation that aims to transform shopping and retail experiences in the country.
Among the robot’s features include smart voice interactivity and facial detection. It is equipped with a front screen which can be used for mobile advertisements and delivering other announcements.
Furthermore, since the robots were put up by Filipino engineers, they are capable of speaking in Filipino, making them more understandable to all the shoppers.
The retail industry is not the only sector that service robots can be used. They can also be utilised in healthcare and finance.
The tech company is expanding its presence in the Philippines through the production of high-tech products like robotics and other innovations in automation, 3D printing and AI.
According to this report, it is the local unit of Taiwan-based New Kinpo Group. The tech company initially planned to raise PHP6.77 billion through an initial public offering (IPO) to finance its expansion in the country.
However, they decided to back out due to market volatility.
This would have funded the construction of 2 new manufacturing facilities, new assembly equipment, and machinery.
Meanwhile, there are currently 71 supermalls spread all over the Philippines.