Tortoise expands remote operated robotic delivery to convenience stores across the US
https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/05/tortoise-expands-remote-operated-robotic-delivery-to-convenience-stores-across-the-us/
Tortoise is expanding its remote controlled delivery robots to convenience store chains across the U.S. through a new two-year strategic partnership with King Retail Solutions (KRS), an Idaho-based retail brand strategy company with a national footprint. Under the agreement, KRS will resell and distribute more than 500 of Tortoise’s sidewalk delivery vehicles to help its convenience store customers offer affordable, same-day last-mile delivery options.
Recent partnerships with last-mile logistics supplier AxelHire, grocery chain Shoprite and convenience store brand Choice Market demonstrate a major shift toward robotic delivery for Tortoise, one that allows it to bring its robots into an increasing range of markets. The company was initially founded in 2019 to remotely rebalance shared scooters into parking bays or toward demand, but the drop in micromobility usage during the pandemic caused Tortoise to pivot aggressively to delivery, an industry that only continues to grow as more customers expect their goodies to arrive within hours of ordering.