No, robotics and AI are not taking over retail, and humans will still have jobs in five years from now
Automation isn't there to replace human interaction in retail. Rather, the point is to clear the noise so those interactions can actually be valuable. So says Mark Schneider, Director of Business Development at Cleveron.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Robotics and AI are taking over, and humans won't have jobs in five years…If I had a pound for every time I heard that in retail tech, I’d be retired by now. There’s this persistent myth that bringing in automation like Click & Collect hubs or parcel lockers destroys the human element of shopping.”
He added: “In practice, I've usually seen the exact opposite happen. When store teams aren't stuck behind a counter scanning labels or hunting for missing parcels in the back room, they actually have time to engage with people. The tech handles the repetitive admin while the team handles the experience.”
“The operational impact is huge. Store teams report spending up to 60% less time handling routine parcel admin when automated collection is introduced. Data also shows that 15% to 20% of parcel pickup customers make an additional in-store purchase during that same visit simply because store colleagues were available to welcome them and help out on the floor.”
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When automation fails
A woman in Arizona, USA is suing autonomous delivery company Starship Technologies, claiming that one of its robots knocked her to the ground, resulting in serious injuries, including a spinal fracture.
According to an Arizona State University (ASU) Police Department report, 73 year old Trudy Perez was working as an attendant at an ASU parking garage in 2023 when the robot ran into her. A police officer found her laying on the ground and complaining of lower back pain and with a four inch cut on her left arm. She stated that, after knocking her over, the robot started to leave and then tried to back into her again.
Perez’s case is set for a jury trial early next year. Vrana Law Firm, which represents Perez, said that their client has “lifelong impairment,” due to the injuries she sustained.
Under Arizona law, businesses running autonomous delivery devices must maintain minimum liability coverage of $100,000 per unit, enforce reasonable safety precautions for pedestrians and ensure a human operator actively monitors each device.
RTIH has reached out to Starship Technologies for comment and will update this article as soon as we hear back from the company. It has provided investigators with video footage recorded by the robot.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Automation will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
