Walmart Canada says robots are coming to two Ontario warehouses

Together, they shave down the time it takes to get products from trailers into the facility by 90 per cent — and their overlord, Walmart Canada, hopes this is just the start.

In a Calgary warehouse almost as big as eight football fields, an army of robots whir about, carrying massive quantities of merchandise bound for Walmart Canada customers.

Some of the robots zip around the hulking facility transporting pallets of merchandise fresh off delivery trucks. Another resembling a giant arm moves the pallets onto conveyor belts. A third group are labellers.

Together, they shave down the time it takes to get products from trailers into the facility by 90 per cent — and their overlord, Walmart Canada, hopes this is just the start. It plans to bring robots to Mississauga and Cornwall, Ont., distribution centres over the next five years.

“We’re super excited about what we’ve done in Calgary and we’re super excited to scale that and get it into our other sites,” said Matt Kelly, Walmart Canada’s vice-president of supply chain.

It’s not hard to see why companies including Walmart are enamoured with robots.

Robots won’t grumble about tasks and aren’t subject to union or government policies restricting working hours or the heft of the loads they can carry. Though they can have downtime for upgrades, maintenance and recharging, there’s no need to offer them overtime, vacation or benefits.

Kelly’s staff say robots have sped up their ability to throw freight — warehouse lingo for moving merchandise — and boosted safety and ergonomics by reducing repetitive strain and injuries.

“Every associate within our supply chain has the right to go home to their families at the end of the day with no injuries, no cuts, no grazes, no scrapes, nothing more serious,” Kelly said.