RetailUS

Bossa Nova Layoffs

November 2020

Bossa Nova announced a layoff affecting 0 employees (50% of its workforce) in November 2020. The company operates in the Retail sector.

People Affected

Percentage

50%

Announced Date

Nov 2, 2020

About

Walmart has ended its contract with Bossa Nova Robotics, effectively halting the use of around 500 inventory-scanning robots across its more than 4,700 stores. The decision, reported in late 2020, came as the retail giant found that human employees, using simpler and more cost-effective methods, could perform the shelf-monitoring tasks just as effectively. This shift was partly driven by concerns over customer reactions to the robots and a focus on practical solutions to maintain in-stock levels, a persistent challenge amid surging pandemic-driven sales. While moving away from these robots, Walmart continues to invest in other technology experiments, including designated e-commerce lab stores.