Vandhana Mohanraj and her partner Faisal Fakhani had just finished their regular grocery run when the couple decided to stop for coffee. Caffeo is just one small example of an intriguing trend: retail-level enterprises that harness technology to operate without customer-facing staff. Lisa Hutcheson of JCWG Retail Consultants said she recently saw a demonstration of robots that can actually stock store shelves. Though she was once a skeptic about its impact, she now sees the technology potentially replacing almost any type of worker. Using it to assemble an espresso-based beverage, said Fakhani, was “less charming” than visiting an independent coffee shop, a couple of doors away.

Source: National Post December 23, 2025 21:56 UTC