KFC Partners With Baidu For A Robot-Powered Store In Shanghai

What Happened
Quick service chain KFC has partnered with Baidu, China’s leading company in search and AI technology, to create a new concept store in Shanghai that uses conversational robots as servers. Billed as “the world’s first human-free fast food restaurant,” the new KFC store Original+ replaces human cashiers with small robots named Du Mi, which can take orders and process payments. The pear-shaped robots are designed to be cordial and engaging, ushering customers through their ordering process.

Why Brands Should Care
This innovative store by KFC offers a new example for how brands, especially those operating physical storefronts, can partner with tech providers to incorporate emerging technology — such as voice-activated conversational interfaces in this case — into their in-store experience. As consumers continue to seek out new experiences, brands need to be mindful of the new technologies that can help modernize the customer experience.

Source: Digital Trends