At the beginning of 2024, Perekrestok tested robotic cats that served as a smart shelf. These mechanisms rolled around the store, carrying promotional items, and offered customers to purchase products at discounts. The response from visitors was positive, but the project was not pilot tested due to economic factors.

Now the Perekrestok retail chain has begun a new experiment to introduce robotic cleaners in order to optimize the cleaning process. Ten such devices are already operating in stores in Moscow, Sochi and St. Petersburg.

During the experiment, it is planned to determine the most effective method of cleaning retail space. The robot replaces a scrubber dryer and a cleaning service worker, while increasing the quality of cleaning and the duration of work without recharging.

A person with a scrubbing machine can clean 100 square meters in an hour, while a robot can handle a thousand. The machine is capable of performing both general cleaning and individual tasks, for example, washing the floor after a product has fallen. In addition, the robot can greet visitors and ask them to step aside.

The results of the experiment will be summed up in August 2024. It is expected that the use of robots will improve the quality of cleaning and redistribute the responsibilities of employees.