What: JD.com opens 100% robotized stores in Europe for the first time.

Why it is important: This experiment might serve as sources of inspiration for other retailers, especially when it comes to the order fulfilment and home delivery. If the experiment proves popular, it might contribute to the quest of better margins, by removing the human component. But would that be accepted at a larger scale by the population?

JD.Com has opened its first physical stores in Europe, in Leiden and Rotterdam (Netherlands), while two more are planned in Amsterdam and Utrech.

All stores are trading under the name “Ochama” and sell fashion ranges for men, women, kids, as well as household goods, furniture, beauty and food.

The specificity of these stores is that they are almost fully robotized, from the online ordering processing, to the order fulfilment and home delivery steps. Robots are visible by customers when they come to stores. Cashdesks are also replaced by QR code payment, allowing to remove the need for cashiers.

JD.com launches new store concept in Europe in The Netherlands, staffed by robots