Kroger Uses Simulation and Digital Twins for a Better and Faster Shopping Experience

Summary

Kroger is revolutionizing the customer shopping experience by leveraging Nvidia's Omniverse and Isaac Sim to optimize store layouts and checkout processes. By creating a digital twin of its store, Kroger can simulate different configurations of self-checkout and cashier-assisted lanes to reduce checkout times and address labor shortages. These simulations help Kroger make data-driven decisions, resulting in faster checkouts and more efficient operations. The company is confident that these virtual tests will lead to physical store improvements that benefit both customers and staff.

Takeaways

• 😀 Kroger is a customer-first company focused on improving the shopping experience through technology and innovation.
• 😀 Kroger uses Nvidia’s Omniverse and Isaac Sim to simulate and visualize different checkout configurations in digital twins of their stores.
• 😀 The main goal of this simulation is to optimize self-checkout and cashier-assisted lanes for faster and more efficient customer service.
• 😀 By importing CAD models from Autodesk Revit into Nvidia Omniverse, Kroger creates a digital replica (digital twin) of their physical store.
• 😀 Isaac Sim is used to simulate customer shopping journeys within the digital twin, enabling Kroger to test various checkout configurations.
• 😀 The digital twin helps Kroger measure key metrics like customer queue times and checkout efficiency without needing to implement physical changes immediately.
• 😀 A simulated change, such as reducing one cashier-assisted lane and adding two self-checkout lanes, showed a reduction in average checkout time from 80 to 53 seconds.
• 😀 The simulation allows Kroger to address labor shortages by adjusting store configurations and reducing the need for additional staff during peak hours.
• 😀 By testing configurations in a simulated environment, Kroger can make informed decisions about changes before investing in physical store adjustments.
• 😀 This approach helps Kroger maintain efficient operations, reduce customer wait times, and improve the overall shopping experience, especially during busy times.

Q & A

What is the main goal of Kroger's simulation and visualization journey?

The main goal is to optimize the front of the store for faster checkout by simulating different checkout configurations and measuring their impact on customer queue times and overall efficiency.

How does Nvidia's Omniverse play a role in this process?

Nvidia's Omniverse is used to create a physically accurate digital twin of the store, allowing Kroger to simulate and test various checkout configurations before implementing changes in the physical store.

What is the purpose of the digital twin created using Omniverse?

The digital twin allows Kroger to visualize key metrics like customer queue times and simulate customer journeys to assess the impact of different checkout configurations on overall efficiency.

What technology does Kroger use to simulate the shopping journey of customers?

Kroger uses Isaac Sim, an AI-powered simulation tool, to simulate the shopping journey of customers in the digital twin store environment.

How does Kroger measure the effectiveness of the checkout configurations?

Kroger uses a 2D simulation system to measure metrics like customer queue times and checkout times in various configurations, allowing them to test and compare different setups.

What specific changes were tested in the store's checkout configuration?

Kroger tested reducing one cashier-assisted lane and adding two self-checkout lanes to see how it would impact checkout times and labor efficiency during peak shopping hours.

What were the results of the checkout configuration simulation?

The simulation showed that the new configuration, with one fewer cashier-assisted lane and two additional self-checkout lanes, reduced average checkout times by 27 seconds, from 80 seconds to 53 seconds.

How does this new configuration help address labor shortages?

By reducing the number of cashier-assisted lanes, the new configuration helps address the labor shortage during peak hours by requiring fewer staff while still improving checkout speed.

What benefits does the simulation system provide before making physical store changes?

The simulation system allows Kroger to test different configurations digitally, providing insights into their impact on customer experience and operational efficiency, which helps avoid costly mistakes before implementing physical changes.

How does Kroger ensure the synchronization between the physical store and the digital twin?

Kroger ensures synchronization by creating a real-time connection between the physical store and the digital twin, allowing updates and adjustments to be mirrored across both environments as changes are made.