Zappos hires robots to take over inventory floor

Just think -- Zappos has been shipping out shoes .9284 minutes after you order them for years with mere humans running the show. Now, your new kicks will likely be at your doorstep moments after you think of ordering them. Said e-tailer has just completed implementation of Kiva Systems' Mobile Fulfillment System, which will see "a fleet of Kiva's mobile robotic drive units and inventory storage pods" hit the company's Shepherdsville, Kentucky facility. The move is being made to keep its distribution system in tip-top shape even with the addition of new products outside of just footwear, and unless some of those mechs grow a mind of their own, we'd say things should pan out just fine.

[Via CNET]

[calebu2 Posted Jun 29th 2008 7:14AM]

With the robots running around the factory instead of humans, won't that mean that less shoes are sold?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 1st 2008 10:56PM]

I used to work @ Zappos (Shepherdsville, no less), and I can say that I doubt this will lead to lay-offs of any sort. Every decision I ever saw made by upper management was made with the employees in mind. That is, if it meant laying off a bunch of employees, they'd exhaust every other means before taking that action.