TOKYO — Japanese retailers are experimenting with robotic clerks and human avatars as they try to maintain their renowned service standards, even with workers harder to come by.
At Expo 2025 Osaka, which kicks off this weekend, Avatarin, a spinoff from airline operator ANA Holdings, will demonstrate remote customer service at two 7-Eleven convenience stores. Its Newme robots, controlled remotely by human operators who appear on video monitors, will answer customers’ questions and assist them with self-checkout machines.
