For the first time in the region, Carrefour customers will receive their groceries via self-driving robots
Majid Al Futtaim recently announced its collaboration with Yandex, one of the largest IT companies in Europe to explore autonomous technology solutions to enhance Carrefour’s last mile delivery capabilities.
The partnership will enable Carrefour to be the first omni-channel retailer to use self-driving robots for orders delivery in the region.
Responding to the high demand for online orders, Carrefour customers in selected neighborhoods across the UAE could receive their online orders via Yandex autonomous delivery robots as part of the pilot programme, which is set to launch in early 2022.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA); Hani Weiss, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Retail; and Artem Fokin, Head of Business Development, Yandex Self-Driving Group.
Powered by Yandex autonomous vehicle technology, company’s delivery robots can efficiently plan the safest route in real time, detect approaching vehicles and pedestrians, and travel at speeds of up to 8 km/h on sidewalks or other pedestrian areas. Customers will be able to track its movement in real time on the MAF Carrefour App.
“We are excited to explore this innovative new last mile solution to offer our customers greater flexibility, convenience and speed with their online orders,” observed Weiss. “Autonomous delivery has the potential to improve the life for people in cities, while helping companies optimize their logistics and cut down the costs,” noted Dmitry Polishchuk, CEO, Yandex Self-Driving Group.
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