Why The Explosive Growth Of E-Commerce Could Mean More Jobs
Techlife News|November 4,2017

When the robots came to online retailer Boxed, dread came, too: The familiar fear that the machines would take over, leaving a trail of unemployed humans in their wake.

Why The Explosive Growth Of E-Commerce Could Mean More Jobs

“I had a lot of people asking me, ‘What is going to happen to us?’” says Veronica Mena, a trainer for the e-commerce startup, recalling the anxiety that rippled through her co-workers after company executives announced plans to open an automated warehouse in nearby Union, New Jersey.

Yet their fears didn’t come to pass.

When the new warehouse opened this spring, workers found that their jobs were less physically demanding than at the older, manual warehouse in Edison, New Jersey. Instead of walking thousands of steps a day loading items onto carts, employees could stand at stations as conveyor belts brought the goods to them.

And rather than cutting jobs, the company added a third shift to keep up with rapidly growing demand.

What happened at Boxed — and has occurred elsewhere — suggests that widespread fears about automation and job loss are often misplaced. Automation has actually helped create jobs in e-commerce, rather than eliminate them, and stands to create more in the years ahead. By accelerating delivery times, robotics and software have made online shopping an increasingly viable alternative to bricks-andmortar stores, and sales have ballooned at online retailers.

The surge in e-commerce has required the rapid build-out of a vast network of warehouses and delivery systems that include both robots and human workers. The robots didn’t take jobs from people, because many of the jobs didn’t exist before.

“We’re not looking to do the same work with half the people,” said Rick Zumpano, vice president for distribution at Boxed. “Since we’re growing, we need everyone.”

Newer robotic technologies do loom as a threat to some e-commerce jobs. Startup robotics companies are developing robot arm prototypes, for example, that can pick goods from shelves. Those devices may replace some workers over the next decade.

This story is from the November 4,2017 edition of Techlife News.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 4,2017 edition of Techlife News.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TECHLIFE NEWSView All
'Kung Fu Panda 4' is a Sweet, Fun and Well Executed Passing of the Torch
Techlife News

'Kung Fu Panda 4' is a Sweet, Fun and Well Executed Passing of the Torch

“Kung Fu Panda 4” finds our trusty, rotund hero Po at a career crossroads and he’s nervous. “Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” he is told. “Kung Fu Panda 4” also finds the franchise at an inflection point, but there’s no reason for us to be nervous. DreamWorks knows what it’s doing.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 16, 2024
UN SAYS E-WASTE FROM TRASHED ELECTRIC DEVICES IS PILING UP AND RECYCLING ISN'T KEEPING PACE
Techlife News

UN SAYS E-WASTE FROM TRASHED ELECTRIC DEVICES IS PILING UP AND RECYCLING ISN'T KEEPING PACE

U.N. agencies have warned that electrical and electronic waste is piling up worldwide while recycling rates remain low and are likely to fall even further.

time-read
3 mins  |
Techlife News #647
FRENCH REGULATORS FINE GOOGLE $272 MILLION IN DISPUTE WITH NEWS PUBLISHERS
Techlife News

FRENCH REGULATORS FINE GOOGLE $272 MILLION IN DISPUTE WITH NEWS PUBLISHERS

France's competition watchdog hit Google on Wednesday with another big fine tied to a long-running dispute over payments to French publishers for their news.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #647
TEXAS APPROVES LAND-SWAPPING DEAL WITH SPACEX AS COMPANY HOPES TO EXPAND ROCKET-LAUNCH OPERATIONS
Techlife News

TEXAS APPROVES LAND-SWAPPING DEAL WITH SPACEX AS COMPANY HOPES TO EXPAND ROCKET-LAUNCH OPERATIONS

SpaceX would acquire public land in Texas to expand its rocket-launch facilities under a tentative deal that is moving forward after months of opposition from nearby residents and officials near the U.S.-Mexico border.

time-read
2 mins  |
Techlife News #647
SPACEX COMES CLOSE TO COMPLETING TEST FLIGHT OF MEGA ROCKET BUT LOSES SPACECRAFT NEAR END
Techlife News

SPACEX COMES CLOSE TO COMPLETING TEST FLIGHT OF MEGA ROCKET BUT LOSES SPACECRAFT NEAR END

SpaceX came close to completing an hourlong test flight of its mega rocket on its third try Thursday (14), but the spacecraft was lost as it descended back to Earth.

time-read
3 mins  |
Techlife News #647
SPOTIFY PAID $9 BILLION IN ROYALTIES IN 2023. HERE'S WHAT FUELED THE GROWTH
Techlife News

SPOTIFY PAID $9 BILLION IN ROYALTIES IN 2023. HERE'S WHAT FUELED THE GROWTH

Spotify paid out $9 billion in streaming royalties last year, the streaming giant said this week in its latest \"Loud and Clear\" report.

time-read
2 mins  |
Techlife News #647
APPLE TO PAY $490 MILLION TO SETTLE ALLEGATIONS THAT IT MISLED INVESTORS ABOUT IPHONE SALES IN CHINA
Techlife News

APPLE TO PAY $490 MILLION TO SETTLE ALLEGATIONS THAT IT MISLED INVESTORS ABOUT IPHONE SALES IN CHINA

Apple has agreed to pay $490 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging CEO Tim Cook misled investors about a steep downturn in iPhone's sales in China that culminated in a jarring revision to the company's revenue forecast.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #647
PAIR ACCUSED OF STEALING BATTERY MANUFACTURING SECRETS FROM TESLA AND STARTING THEIR OWN COMPANY
Techlife News

PAIR ACCUSED OF STEALING BATTERY MANUFACTURING SECRETS FROM TESLA AND STARTING THEIR OWN COMPANY

Two men are accused of starting a business in China using battery manufacturing technology pilfered from Tesla and trying to sell the proprietary information, federal prosecutors in New York said.

time-read
1 min  |
Techlife News #647
AI IMAGE-GENERATOR MIDJOURNEY BLOCKS IMAGES OF BIDEN AND TRUMP AS ELECTION LOOMS
Techlife News

AI IMAGE-GENERATOR MIDJOURNEY BLOCKS IMAGES OF BIDEN AND TRUMP AS ELECTION LOOMS

The popular artificial intelligence image-generator Midjourney has started blocking its users from creating fake images of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, according to tests of the AI tool.

time-read
3 mins  |
Techlife News #647
AS ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES SLOW, US 7 RELAXES PLANS FOR STRICTER AUTO EMISSIONS STANDARDS FOR A WHILE
Techlife News

AS ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES SLOW, US 7 RELAXES PLANS FOR STRICTER AUTO EMISSIONS STANDARDS FOR A WHILE

The Biden administration this week is expected to announce new automobile emissions standards that relax proposed limits for three years but eventually reach the same strict standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

time-read
4 mins  |
Techlife News #647