During the 2022 World Retail Congress held in Italy from April 5th to 7th, Pass Lei, general manager of ochama at JD.com, announced that since January of this year the company has launched four robotic shops in the Netherlands, located in Leiden, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht.
As the pandemic is reshaping consumers’ shopping behaviors, digitalization has been put in the spotlight for global retailers. “We hope to help customers explore an extraordinary shopping experience through technology and service innovation, and create a sustainable future,” said Lei.
It is not only the chain’s in-store robots that enable such efficiency. JD’s warehouse in Rotterdam spans an area of nearly 20,000 square meters. Equipped with automated systems, it can process 15,000 parcels a day.
Thanks to the application of supply chain technologies, ochama brings down the product price by an extra 10% to benefit the chain’s member customers.
Ochama is JD’s first physical retail store launched in Europe. The omni-channel model allows shoppers to purchase a full range of products including fresh produce online through ochama’s App, and pick it up offline with the help of various robots such as robotic arms and automated ground vehicles. Customers can also choose to have their orders delivered the next day to their doorsteps by paying a small fee.
