Amazon has halted testing of its Scout home-delivery robots because it cuts prices within the wake of slowing gross sales, in response to a Bloomberg report.
Amazon spokesperson Alisa Carroll informed Bloomberg that the group engaged on its Scout robots was being disbanded and could be provided new jobs at Amazon. Citing a “individual conversant in the state of affairs,” Bloomberg reported that work on the venture had already been halted.
About 400 folks had been engaged on the venture globally, Bloomberg’s supply says.
Amazon began testing the cooler-shaped autonomous autos about three years in the past in suburban Seattle, ultimately increasing this system to locations like Irvine, California, Atlanta, Georgia and Franklin, Tennessee.
Carroll informed Bloomberg that in testing the corporate discovered by means of buyer suggestions that “there have been features of this system that weren’t assembly buyer wants.” In consequence, the corporate is ending its exams and retooling this system, she mentioned.
Below CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon is adjusting to slowing retail gross sales, delaying some investments and ending others. Amazon additionally mentioned earlier this week that it could discontinue Amazon Glow, an interactive video-chat gadget targeted on serving to children and family members play collectively through the web amid the pandemic.
The corporate has additionally frozen hiring for its company retail groups and is winding down Amazon Care, its telemedicine program, Bloomberg mentioned.