Seven months after launching its$$ stand$-$alone e$-$commerce$$ unit, Saks Fifth Avenue has started shipping online orders from a$$ high$-$tech Pennsylvania$$ warehouse, deploying dozens of autonomous robots programmed to help workers find Giambattista Valli gowns and Christian Louboutin pumps.

Part $2$

With its robots and new$$ facility, both operated by GXO$$ Logistics, Saks is aiming to keep up with skyrocketing online sales. Like many other$$ retailers, Saks has been flooded by$$ stay$-$at$-$home shoppers since Covid.

$"$Advances in$$ robotics, coupled with AI and machine learning$$ capabilities, have created exciting possibilities in automated warehouse$$ design," said$$ GXO's CIO. Many of these advances enable$$ fulfillment$-$center operators to boost efficiency and speed up$$ deliveries, he said.$$ "Technology is enabling greater precision in inventory management. Pairing workers with robots is a winning$$ combination."

Part $3$

Robots being used by Sakslong dashknown as cobots$,$ because they collaborate with human workerslong dashstand four feet tall and move about the warehouse on wheels. They are equipped with large computer$$ screens, which are used to display images of items that workers need to gather for an order. The robots rapidly$$ cross$-$reference incoming orders with a map of product locations in the warehouse and quickly guide workers to the items. From$$ there, workers pick up the items and route them to the appropriate delivery bay.

Part $4$

The system helps move goods through the fulfillment process twice as fast as manual processes alone. That kind of speed will be crucial for online$$ retailers, such as$$ Saks, as they gird for what is expected to be a busy holiday shopping season.

The move to the new$$ high$-$tech facility is part of a broader plan to boost the$$ retailer's use of advanced digital technology to support an aggressive growth strategy.$"$We are focused on elevating the entire$$ experience," said a$$ Saks' VP$,$ "from how customers discover our$$ offering, to how they engage with$$ us$,$ to how the product arrives at their$$ home."

Part $5$

Over the past two years the$$ e$-$commerce unit's sales increased$82\%.$ Even as vaccines make it safer to return to physical$$ stores, many customers are sticking to online shopping habits picked up during pandemic lockdowns.

$$Source: The Wall Street Journal$($Oct$.28,2021).$

Part $6$

Critical Thinking Questions

$1.$ Automated$$ high$-$tech warehouses

A$.$

$$don$\text{'}$t need to employ humans.

B$.$

are critical to Saks because of exploding online sales.

C$.$

are cheap and easy to implement.

D$.$

must be operated by $3$rd party$$ vendors, such as GXO.

E$.$

will die out once COVID has been eliminated.

Part $7$

$2.$ Cobots are

A$.$

there to replace humans.

B$.$

going to increase$$ Saks' sales dramatically.

C$.$

four times as fast as traditional robots.

D$.$

just one tool to automated warehouse design.

E$.$

$$six$-$foot tall robots on wheels.