Tesco has finished rolling out autonomous cleaning robots across 600 of its Express stores in the UK, marking what the company says is the first deployment of its size in the British convenience sector.
The supermarket worked with industrial cleaning equipment specialist ICE to introduce the machines, which operate as "co-bots" alongside employees rather than replacing them.
Freeing staff for customer-facing tasks
The robots have been given responsibility for routine floor cleaning, allowing staff to spend more time serving customers and completing other shop floor duties.
Tesco will also receive cleaning data and performance reports from the technology, helping employees track whether cleaning routines have been completed consistently.
Training and support at all locations
ICE is providing training, maintenance and ongoing support across all 600 stores where the robots have been deployed to ensure a smooth rollout.
Tesco representatives also visited 32 Express stores in Scotland to mark the milestone and gather feedback from employees using the technology.
ICE chief executive Mark Bresnihan said: "Together, we are showing how data-driven automation can work hand-in-hand with retail teams to improve cleaning standards."
The rollout builds on the companies' existing relationship. ICE secured responsibility for supplying and servicing cleaning equipment across Tesco's roughly 2,000 Express stores in 2024, doubling its previous footprint with the supermarket.
