Sam's Club to Roll Out Autonomous Floor Scrubbing Robots Nationwide

Over the last half-year, there has been a noticeable increase in the adoption of robotics and automation technologies as businesses explore methods to enhance – and potentially substitute – their workforce. This trend is particularly understandable given the widespread disruptions caused by the recent pandemic.

Sam’s Club has prior experience with robotic floor care, already utilizing Tennant’s T7AMR scrubbers in several of its stores. This week, the Walmart subsidiary revealed plans to integrate an additional 372 units this year, extending this technology to every one of its 599 U.S. locations.

While the robot offers manual control options, its integration with Brain Corp.’s system enables fully autonomous functionality. This capability is especially beneficial considering the expansive layout of these large-format retail spaces. Notably, the software also allows the cleaning robots to simultaneously assess and report on shelving inventory.

Walmart, the parent company of Sam’s Club, is already employing robotics for inventory management within its own stores. Earlier this year, the company announced the deployment of Bossa Nova robots to an additional 650 stores, increasing the total number operating in the U.S. to 1,000. The Tennant/Brain Corp. system remains in the testing phase, but a robot capable of efficiently handling both cleaning and inventory tasks during slower periods presents a significant advantage. Managing inventory represents a substantial undertaking in stores of this size, much like maintaining cleanliness.