United Natural Foods, Inc. engages in the distribution of natural, organic, and specialty foods and non-food products. The firm operates through the following segments: Wholesale and Retail.

United Natural Foods (NYSE: UNFI)

MINNEAPOLIS — Twelve food and beverage brands were selected to participate in the fifth Target Forward Founders accelerator program, described as “an immersive 10-week program” providing ...

Twelve food and beverage brands join Target accelerator

United Natural Foods, Inc. UNFI (the "Company" or "UNFI ... ecommerce providers, and food service customers. UNFI also provides a broad range of value-added services and segmented marketing ...

United Natural Foods Deploys New Zero-Emission Refrigerated Delivery System at its West Sacramento Distribution Center

But with retailers now expanding their store-owned food and beverage offerings, consumers are slowly shifting their spending. Overall, private-label foods and ... push into the United States ...

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Acquisitions would help to expand United Natural's existing fresh food distribution businesses -- Tony's Fine Foods and Albert's Organics. The company bought Tony's, which delivers products such ...

United Natural Foods Is in the Market for Acquisitions

the Anuga 2023 food and beverage exhibition in Cologne, Germany. Through its participation in the event , which ran from October 7 to 11, the Chamber aimed to support and boost national food markets, monitor foreign markets with an eye to stimulating ...

Sharjah Chamber celebrates fruitful participation in Anuga 2023 Food, Beverage Exhibition in Germany

United Natural Foods Inc is a leading distributor of natural, organic, and specialty foods and non-food products in the United States and Canada. The company operates through three main segments: Wholesale, Retail, and Manufacturing and Branded Products.

Director Ann Bates Sells 16,061 Shares of United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI)

Investors cheered as United Natural Foods' CFO and CEO each bought shares in recent weeks. The purchases followed a sharp pullback late last month on the heels of the company's latest quarterly ...

Why United Natural Foods Stock Popped 12% This Week

Get the most recent info and news about United Natural Foods on HackerNoon, where 10k+ technologists publish stories for 4M+ monthly readers.

United Natural Foods, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The company offers grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, nutritional supplements and sports nutrition, bulk and foodservice products, and personal care items. It also provides nuts, dried fruit, seeds, trail mixes, granola, natural and organic snack items, and confections under the Woodstock Farms Manufacturing name; organic, non-GMO project verified, and specialty food and non-food items under the Blue Marble brand; pet food under the WILD HARVEST brand; and imported Greek feta cheese and organic ramen under the MT.VIKOS, KOYO, ASIAN GOURMET, MEDITERRANEAN ORGANIC, and NATURAL SEA brands, as well as various products under the TUMARO'S, ESSENTIAL EVERYDAY, SHOPPERS VALUE, Field Day, EQUALINE, CULINARY CIRCLE, ARCTIC SHORES SEAFOOD COMPANY, STONE RIDGE CREAMERY, and SUPER CHILL brands. In addition, the company provides home, health and beauty care, and pharmacy products, as well as private label products through a network of 73 Cub Foods and Shoppers retail grocery stores; and retail store support, pricing strategy, shelf and planogram management, advertising, couponing, ecommerce, consumer convenience, store design, equipment sourcing, electronic payments processing, network and data hosting, point-of-sale hardware and software, automation tools, sustainability, and administrative back-office solution services. Further, it offers consumer and trade marketing programs, and programs to support suppliers in understanding its markets. The company serves chains, independent retailers, and supernatural chains, as well as foodservice, ecommerce, conventional military business, and other sales customers. United Natural Foods, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.

United Natural Foods

In the 1960s, the United States experienced a conglomerate boom. Companies such as Ling-Temco-Vought, Gulf and Western Industries, and others capitalized on low interest rates and periodically falling stock prices to acquire smaller companies through borrowed funds and often at temporarily reduced valuations. One distinctive feature of the conglomerate model was that the companies united within a conglomerate could operate in completely different and unrelated industries, ranging from meat packing to aerospace. The primary factors considered when deciding to purchase a new company for the conglomerate were exclusively financial indicators: the profitability and price of the acquired company. The main goal of this business model was to increase the conglomerate's stock value by growing earnings per share. Investors and the general public were also presented with more enticing ideas underlying the model, such as risk diversification of the conglomerate through the dissimilarity of its constituent businesses, as well as efficient access and redistribution of financial resources within the conglomerate. By 1968, the conglomerate business reached its peak, with approximately 4,500 companies being acquired in the US market, 26 of which made it into the top 500 American companies ranking. However, the stability of this model proved to be short-lived. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, conglomerate profits began to decline significantly due to rising interest rates. Alongside the decline in profits, market capitalization also fell, and conglomerates were forced to sell their assets to meet the debt obligations they had accumulated during the boom. If we look at the largest technology companies today (MAAMA), we can identify certain similarities with conglomerates. For instance, under the holding company Alphabet, created in 2015, Google encompasses a large number of companies from various business sectors. These include various internet services, self-driving cars, pharmaceutical and medical companies, and even agricultural technologies. Similarly, Amazon, in addition to its e-commerce business, includes Amazon Web Services — a cloud business, music and video streaming, the gaming streaming platform Twitch, as well as the natural products chain Whole Foods. Moreover, this phenomenon can be observed not only in the US but worldwide. For example, in China, Alibaba operates fintech, online travel, cloud, messaging, video streaming, gaming, and many other businesses alongside its main operations. And Russia's largest internet company, Yandex, is a leader not only in online search but also in taxi services and video streaming, and it is developing several other areas. At first glance, it may seem that conglomerates have risen from the ashes like a phoenix in modern technology giants that attempt to engage in everything at once. But is that really the case? Are modern technology corporations truly a new wave of conglomerate models? And are they destined for the inevitable collapse that occurred with conglomerates in the 1970s? Let's take a closer look at the businesses united under the brands of technology giants. Through analyzing their press releases, media statements, and strategic materials, it becomes evident that the development of specific services is primarily driven by strategic considerations rather than purely financial motives. The companies within these groups are closely integrated with each other, working towards the achievement of specific strategic goals, even if these connections may not be immediately apparent. For instance, Amazon's video streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, doesn't exist in a separate universe from its e-commerce business but functions as part of the broader Amazon Prime subscription, which includes free shipping and other services. Another example is AWS, which originated from Amazon's endeavour to leverage its expertise in building efficient data centres for its own needs. Facebook's acquisition of Oculus similarly goes beyond mere profitability from selling VR/AR devices; it aims to integrate social networks with this technology to create a so-called metaverse. Thus, the fundamental difference between modern technology corporations and conglomerates lies in the existence of such synergistic relationships between the assets under their management. In contrast to traditional conglomerates that primarily focused on increasing profits through financial leverage, technology companies actively interconnect their businesses to mutually enhance their products and services, delivering an exceptional customer experience. This paradigm shift has given rise to the concept of a 'technology ecosystem' or 'digital ecosystem,' capturing the interconnectedness and collaborative nature of these integrated models. There can be endless examples of such integration, but the most common ones include: Cross-promotion of one product on the platforms of another (e.g., installing Apple Music on all Apple devices or promoting Google services through its search engine). Shared logins across different services to ensure a seamless user experience and efficient data exchange between services (Apple ID, Google Account). Subscription bundles that allow users to subscribe to a set of ecosystem services simultaneously (Amazon Prime, Yandex Plus). Loyalty programs that enable users to accumulate and redeem cash back points within the ecosystem. Common umbrella brand name. Utilization of shared infrastructure and architecture to save costs. And more. By establishing such close relationships between products within the ecosystem, they can act as instruments in an orchestra, playing different parts on the path to achieving the strategic goals of the entire group. For instance, Amazon Video doesn't necessarily have to be profitable on its own as long as it brings new users and keeps them engaged on the e-commerce platform. It is impossible to imagine such a case outside the ecosystem model. This fact significantly transforms the product landscape and offers users services that would never have existed without the ecosystem model. Products within ecosystems, based on their functional purpose (although sometimes one product can serve multiple functions simultaneously), can be divided into four groups: Customer Acquisition Products whose primary goal is to attract new users to the ecosystem. Examples of such products could be online retail for Amazon or a search portal for Google. Typically, these are core products of the ecosystem, with the highest visibility and user benefits. Customer Retention Products with a high frequency of use and a high cost of switching to a competing service for users. Thanks to decision inertia, these products help retain customers within the ecosystem. Examples include loyalty programs within the ecosystem that create the illusion for users that it is better to stay within the ecosystem and spend accumulated points rather than switch to a more advantageous competitor's product. Another example is Amazon Video, whose unique content is not available on other video platforms. Consequently, a user who has already started watching a series will want to finish it, thereby continuing to pay for the Amazon Prime subscription. And with the added benefit of free shipping included in Amazon Prime, why not make another purchase or two on the Amazon marketplace? Monetization The most obvious functional load. After attracting and retaining users within the ecosystem, it is necessary to monetize them. A prime example of products in this category can be highly-margin goods that users would never purchase without being part of the ecosystem (think about Apple's chargers and cables and their prices). Moon Shots Products that do not fit into any of the three aforementioned categories but have the potential to create new growth opportunities or prevent disruption in the company's industry. Examples include voice assistants, developments in autonomous technologies, and more. How successful can this model be considering the drawbacks inherently associated with conglomerates and similar structures? Specifically, the need to create an additional layer of bureaucracy to manage a large group of businesses, management defocus, and the development of a large number of culturally different businesses within the same corporate standards of the ecosystem. Answering this question based on data and numerical metrics is quite challenging. Firstly, it is very difficult for companies to accurately measure and quantify the positive effects of the synergies between products within their ecosystems described above. Secondly, companies often do not disclose detailed information regarding such effects in their financial reports or public statements. Taking the example of Amazon Video, various assessments and comments indicate that Amazon Prime users consider the presence of the video streaming service as the second reason for subscribing, with only ‘free 1-day shipping’ ranking higher. It is reported that Prime Video generates approximately 20-30% of new trial users for the subscription. Furthermore, compared to regular users, Amazon Prime users make purchases on the marketplace 2.3 times more frequently and spend 2.5 times more. However, assessing the extent to which these positive effects compensate for Amazon's massive multi-billion-dollar expenses in creating new content remains a complex challenge. Assessing the success of the ecosystem model from a different perspective, we can examine the ranking of the world's largest technology companies by market capitalization. Notably, the top four positions are predominantly occupied by ecosystem-driven companies (Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet), while monoline companies like Nvidia and Tesla appear further down the list at the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Even Netflix, a company focused on a single business model, has recently dropped out of the acronym for the most prominent technology companies in the world, FAANG, and now faces significant pressure from ecosystem players like Amazon Video. In conclusion, modern technology giants demonstrate distinct differences from the conglomerates of the past. Their approach to launching or acquiring new businesses is not driven solely by financial engineering but by the intention to create a synergistic set of products that complement each other and deliver enhanced value collectively. Within these ecosystems, products may serve different functional purposes and prioritize factors beyond immediate profit extraction. This transformative concept reshapes the business landscape, offering users an array of products and services that would not exist without the presence of these ecosystems. While it is still too early to definitively determine the long-term success of ecosystems from an economic history perspective, indirect indicators suggest the viability and advantages of this business model compared to companies focused solely on a single model of development.

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The final frontier of delivery is going autonomous. As online orders surge and customers demand ever faster times, last-mile logistics is transforming at warp speed. Self-driving cars, drones and robots are invading suburbs worldwide, promising to bring goods to your door within minutes. No longer fiction, the vision of ordering coffee on a whim and seeing it arrive piping hot via robot is becoming reality. Need a package ASAP? Drones may soon deliver overhead. Companies like Yandex are accelerating this revolution by developing cutting-edge autonomous vehicles for last-mile tasks. In this article, we'll take a drive exploring the innovations upending last-mile delivery. We'll look at the technologies and companies at the forefront of this rapid change. We'll also peer into the future to speculate how new advances could push instant gratification to new heights. From Horse-Drawn Carriages to Delivery Drones People had been delivering goods for centuries using animals like horses and camels. Later, trains, ships and cars sped things up. But the last mile - getting items from large vehicles to destinations - remained difficult. E-commerce boomed in the late 1900s, creating demand for fast package shipping. FedEx and UPS rose with planes, trucks, and vans worldwide. Yet online orders grew so much that last-mile challenges also increased. Customers wanted speedier, cheaper, flexible options while costs rose for companies. To meet these problems, firms tried new methods. with free two-day shipping. They also did same-day and one-hour delivery, using instead of employees. Amazon has also experimented with drones, robots and lockers too, seeking better last-mile solutions. Amazon launched Prime in 2005 independent drivers The Last Mile: The Final Frontier of Logistics Last-mile delivery is important for several reasons. First, it is a key factor in customer satisfaction and loyalty. According to a survey by McKinsey, 25% of online shoppers would switch to another retailer if they had a bad delivery experience. Moreover, 56% of millennials said they would pay more for same-day or instant delivery. Therefore, offering fast and reliable last-mile delivery can give a competitive edge to online retailers. Second, last-mile delivery is a major cost driver in logistics. According to some estimates, last-mile delivery accounts for 41% of the total delivery cost and 53% of the total carbon emissions. Reducing the cost and environmental impact of last-mile delivery can improve the profitability and sustainability of online retail. Third, last-mile delivery is a source of . As technology advances and consumer behaviour changes, fresh solutions and players emerge in the last-mile ecosystem. For example, startups like DoorDash, Instacart, and Postmates offer on-demand delivery services for food and groceries. Platforms like Uber Eats, Doordash, and Grubhub connect restaurants with customers and couriers. Companies like Yandex, Starship Technologies, and Nuro develop autonomous vehicles for last-mile delivery. innovation and opportunity The Tech Titans of Today: Yandex, Amazon, and Beyond Two companies that stand out as leaders in last-mile delivery innovation are Yandex and Amazon. Yandex is a Russian internet giant that provides services like search, advertising, e-commerce, maps, cloud computing, and self-driving technology. They've been developing autonomous vehicle technology and currently have a fleet of . These cars have driven over 4 million miles on public roads in Russia, Israel, and the US under various weather and road conditions. With this level of maturity and real-world experience, Yandex is considered one of the global leaders in self-driving development. since 2017 170 self-driving cars Yandex also launched their own delivery robot called Yandex.Rover for transporting small and medium packages autonomously. This robotic option could help automate last-mile delivery within their ecosystem and beyond, providing a sustainable way to deliver food and goods. In total, Yandex has invested approximately into their self-driving division. Recently, they launched Yandex.Rover commercial operations in Skolkovo, a major Russian tech hub. Yandex plans to introduce their autonomous services in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Tel Aviv in the near future as well. $150 million Amazon is another dominant player in e-commerce and technology, known for online retail, streaming, cloud services, AI, and smart devices. They've invested heavily in logistics to speed up and improve delivery. Amazon developed their own delivery network called Amazon Logistics which uses stations, sorting centres, transportation providers, and delivery partners to ship packages independent of traditional carriers. Amazon has also introduced autonomous solutions like , which aims to deliver packages by drone within 30 minutes, and Amazon Scout, a six-wheeled sidewalk robot for navigating neighbourhoods and dropping packages at doorsteps. Other experimental delivery methods from Amazon include in-car/home delivery with and locker/counter pickup with Amazon Hub. Through technological capabilities and their massive customer base, Amazon has become a major force in last-mile delivery. Amazon Prime Air Amazon Key Beyond Yandex and Amazon, companies like , , and are innovating as well. Starship designs small self-driving delivery robots for food, groceries and more across Europe and North America. Nuro partners with retailers to autonomously deliver goods like groceries and prescriptions using their vehicles. And Zipline runs what they claim is the world's largest drone delivery network, transporting medical supplies in Africa and beyond. In the next section, we'll examine some current last-mile delivery case studies. Starship Technologies Nuro Zipline Case Studies from the Front Line: Last-Mile Delivery Today Yandex.Rover in Serbia In June 2023, , Serbia, marking the first time it operated outside of Russia. Yandex partners with local restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets to offer fast, convenient food, grocery, and item delivery to customers via the Yandex app. Customers can track the robot's location and estimated arrival time. Using cameras, lidar and GPS, Yandex.Rover autonomously navigates sidewalks, crosswalks, and traffic lights. Speakers and a screen allow it to communicate with pedestrians and drivers. Its cargo compartment only opens with a unique QR or PIN code provided to the customer. Yandex launched its delivery robot Yandex.Rover in Belgrade This launch was part of Yandex's European expansion strategy. As a leading provider of search, maps, taxi, and food delivery services in Serbia, Yandex aimed to highlight its technological capabilities and offer a unique value with Rover as well. Amazon Prime Air in US, UK, and Italy Amazon Prime Air will integrate drone deliveries into Amazon’s existing fulfilment network, deploying from Same-Day Delivery sites. Amazon customers in Italy, the UK, and an additional U.S. city will soon have the option to get their packages delivered by a drone beginning in late 2024. The Prime Air drone delivery system is expanding to international locations and adding a third city in the United States by the end of next year— specific cities in the U.S. and abroad will be named in the coming months. Zipline in Nigeria In October 2022, through partnerships with the Kaduna State Government and Gates Foundation. Zipline delivers blood, vaccines, medication, and medical supplies from its Kaduna distribution centre to over 1,000 health facilities across the state via 120 km/h flying drones carrying 1.8kg payloads within 30 minutes in all weather. Zipline launched drone services in Nigeria Zipline's Nigeria launch expanded its mission begun in Rwanda in 2016 and Ghana in 2019, where it delivered over 1 million vaccine doses and saved thousands of lives. It aimed to further support universal healthcare in Nigeria. Upcoming Technologies: What’s In the Pipeline? Technology is one of the main drivers of innovation and disruption in last-mile delivery. As technology advances, novel solutions and possibilities emerge that could enhance the efficiency, convenience, and sustainability of last-mile delivery. Here are some of the upcoming technologies that could have a significant impact in the coming years: Hyperloop is a proposed mode of transportation that involves sending pods or capsules through a network of tubes or tunnels at shockingly high speeds, up to 1,200 kilometres per hour. Hyperloop could enable fast and low-cost transportation of goods over long distances, reducing the need for trucks, planes, or trains. Hyperloop could also connect urban areas with rural or remote areas, expanding the reach and accessibility of last-mile delivery. : Hyperloop Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that enables secure and transparent transactions among multiple parties without intermediaries. Blockchain could improve the traceability, accountability, and efficiency of last-mile delivery by enabling real-time tracking of goods, smart contracts for payments and deliveries, and decentralized platforms for peer-to-peer delivery. : Blockchain 3D printing is a technology that enables the creation of physical objects from digital models by depositing layers of material. 3D printing could revolutionize last-mile delivery by enabling on-demand and localized production of goods, reducing the need for inventory, warehousing, and transportation. 3D printing could also enable customization and personalization of goods, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. : 3D Printing Biotechnology is a technology that involves the manipulation of living organisms or biological systems. Biotechnology could transform last-mile delivery by enabling novel solutions for packaging, preservation, and delivery of goods. For example, biodegradable packaging made from algae or fungi could reduce waste and environmental impact. Bioengineered foods or medicines could extend shelf life and improve quality. Biosensors or biometrics could enable secure and convenient delivery verification. : Biotechnology However, challenges exist - technical and regulatory hurdles, social acceptance, ethics, and cybersecurity risks require careful evaluation before adopting unfamiliar concepts. Strategic Shifts: Predicting the Unpredictable While technology drives change, unpredictable human factors also impact last-mile delivery's future. Shifting consumer behaviours, economic conditions, environmental concerns, politics, and natural disasters create uncertainty, with opportunities and risks. To adapt amid this complexity, companies must strategically pivot. Transitioning focus from products alone to customers' experiences demands deep understanding of needs, personalization, and loyalty-building through positive impact. Transitioning from ownership to access alters business models, as shared subscriptions and rentals replace individual purchases in the circular sharing economy. Platform ecosystems boost availability. Moving operations away from centralization delegates control and fosters innovation through distributed localized partner networks, peer-to-peer crowdsourcing, and community cooperation. However, achieving the right product-service balance with these shifts requires trade-offs. Implementing changes across dispersed stakeholders introduces risks that must be diligently governed. Incentives and resource coordination become more intricate. Careful consideration weighs consequences before wholesale adoption. But navigating humanity's disruptive course demands agility and vision. Strategic flexibility positions resilience amid uncertainty, preparedness navigating both risks and opportunities ahead. With responsibility and diligence, last-mile leaders can help deliver the future people need. The Future is Now One thing is clear - we are witnessing the dawning of a new era. An era where imagination meets innovation, where science fiction becomes a science fact, where the impossible becomes possible. Yesteryear's visions of drones, robots and self-driving vehicles delivering goods on demand have already transformed into today's reality. Pioneers like Yandex, Amazon and Starship have pulled the future into the present and set us boldly on a course we could only dream of just a decade ago. What will the next decade bring? It is impossible to say for certain, but if history is any guide, it may surpass even our most outlandish speculations. The innovations will continuously reshape life as we know it, delivering value to all in their wake. As for the rest of us, our role is clear - embrace change with optimism and curiosity. Keep an open mind for what is to come, everyone!

The Last-Mile Delivery Revolution: What’s Next on the Horizon?

Blue-collar jobs have already been impacted heavily by robotics and automation, neither of which require artificial intelligence. Now, recent AI innovations like ChatGPT seem poised to make white-collar jobs vulnerable, which were previously considered safe from automation. But will stop at white-collar positions, or will it threaten blue-collar jobs, as well? AI Blue-Collar Jobs Most at Risk From AI Most of the jobs generative AI can eliminate are white-collar roles. However, a few blue-collar fields could also be affected. Jobs that a robot can perform are at an especially high risk of being eliminated with AI integrations. Retail Sales and retail employees are already experiencing the impact of AI and automation in the job market. Over the past several years, more stores have replaced traditional checkout counters with automated self-service kiosks. Additionally, many people have shifted to online shopping, reducing the number of customers visiting physical storefronts. Self-service checkout at brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Some small shops have no employees, only a few associates who come in to restock the shelves. accounts for 55% of all transactions Unfortunately for people working in retail, most customer-facing roles will likely disappear in the near future. Restocking will likely become the only task requiring employees. AI could completely take over most checkout and customer service tasks. Manufacturing Automation has long been a part of the manufacturing industry, but AI could advance automation to the point of eliminating most hands-on jobs. Combining robotics and AI enables manufacturers to automate their assembly processes. Shifting to an employee-free workplace lets manufacturers operate around the clock and significantly reduce payroll, insurance, and injury compensation expenses. Plus, AI and robotics can often deliver higher-quality products since they don’t encounter human error. There are clear financial benefits for a fully automated manufacturing environment. AI will likely take over most assembly line jobs with the help of robotics. Most blue-collar positions in manufacturing will be technician roles, such as robot repair. Agriculture and Food Processing Farming is often not the first thing that comes to mind when people think of AI and robotics. However, there is huge potential for AI-assisted automation in the agriculture industry. Blue-collar jobs like food packaging and crop harvesting are often repetitive manual labor. These tasks are relatively easy to automate, especially now that AI can accurately recognize ripe or bruised fruit. For example, apple orchards in America’s Northwestern states are to pick apples. Some are flying drones that pick them from the air, while others are large robotic arms on a rolling base that drive through orchards. The robots use AI computer vision to identify ripe fruit and pluck apples from the trees with a robotic arm. starting to use AI-powered robots Farmers can completely automate their harvesting process with enough of these robots, eliminating thousands of blue-collar manual labor jobs. The same applies to food processing and packaging tasks, such as cleaning freshly harvested food. AI computer vision enables robots to perform virtually all food processing tasks, even with delicate foods like pastries and fruit. Is AI Replacing Employees or Filling Empty Jobs? It may sound alarming that AI is threatening blue-collar as well as white-collar jobs. However, is AI actually displacing human employees? It’s easy to imagine businesses firing people and replacing them with AI, but that may not be the reality of the situation. Many industries face major labor shortages today, including manufacturing, retail, and agriculture. This hurts productivity and leads to higher rates of stress and injuries among understaffed teams. These shortages are only getting worse, too. For instance, the National Association of Manufacturers estimates that the manufacturing industry by 2030. Additionally, studies show that fully in-person jobs, such as in retail, and lower employee satisfaction. Businesses have a hard time finding and keeping workers in these sectors. will be short 2.1 million employees have higher quit rates There is no lack of open blue-collar jobs. The problem is finding enough people to fill those roles. Employers often turn to AI and automation when labor shortages continue for an extended period. In these cases, integrating AI can improve the employee experience by reducing the workload on understaffed teams. Adapting to AI in the Workforce Is it possible for AI and employees to coexist peacefully in the blue-collar job market? Some may be surprised to hear that AI can be a helpful addition to the workforce in several ways. It may not be replacing employees so much as shifting humans’ jobs. One of the most common challenges in today’s workforce is a lack of skilled labor, specifically in blue-collar roles. Jobs are available, but not enough people have the technical skills to fill them. For example, there is a , which analysts expect to worsen over the next decade. shortage of at least 70,000 skilled HVAC technicians AI can help employers adapt blue-collar roles to close the skills gap. For instance, it can speed training processes to help employees gain the necessary skills in less time. This benefits everyone since more advanced abilities result in higher pay for blue-collar workers. Similarly, AI is creating more opportunities for blue-collar workers to move into higher-level jobs. AI is eliminating low-skill manual labor tasks, but that includes many positions people don’t typically enjoy anyway. The skills gap presents a great opportunity to reskill and upskill manual labor employees so they can graduate to more fulfilling, engaging careers. It’s also worth considering that AI is only good at a narrow niche of tasks. Humans will always : creativity, originality, and the ability to learn. Countless blue-collar jobs require those skills. have the edge in three core areas For instance, auto technicians need creativity to find the best possible solution to vehicles’ mechanical problems. Robotics technicians rely on their ability to learn to help them keep up with advancing technology. Landscapers exercise originality every day to create unique outdoor spaces. AI can’t replicate these skills on a human level. Even with the help of robotics, there will always be blue-collar jobs that require people. While AI automates mundane manual labor, humans get to focus on creativity-centered tasks. The physical nature of blue-collar work also makes it much more resilient to automation than most white-collar jobs. These careers will be more secure as AI’s presence in the workplace grows. Timeline for the Shift to AI in the Job Market How rapidly will AI change the blue-collar job market? It has advanced rapidly over the past few years, but its impact on the workplace is developing a bit slower. Employers need time and money to invest in AI tools and learn how to use them. Therefore, the transition will happen gradually. The first stage in most fields will be integrating AI tools and assistants. This is already occurring in many white-collar jobs. For example, software developers to automate many tasks, like idea generation or debugging. AI may start helping with employee training or managerial processes like shift scheduling in blue-collar fields. now use machine learning This first stage will occur over the next three to five years. Meanwhile, manufacturing specifically will see an increase in physical automation. For example, AI will begin taking over quality control inspections with the help of computer vision. Most of these integrations will fill empty jobs rather than replace employees. The shift to AI will take longer in some blue-collar fields than in others. For instance, manual labor in agriculture is highly threatened by AI, but the technology still needs much more development. As of 2023, agricultural employees are in the United States. among the least exposed to AI Agriculture has very little advanced electronic equipment, so adding AI will take longer than in fields like manufacturing. Engineers must develop outdoor-ready robotics equipment as well as AI models suited for agriculture. It could take another five to 10 years before tasks like harvesting are viable for automation. On the other end of the spectrum, retail jobs could begin seeing a decline due to AI within the next few years. Automation is already rapidly phasing out tasks like employee-serviced checkout lanes. The technology to automate retail is already present in the workplace, so these blue-collar jobs will experience the impact of AI soonest. Working Alongside AI Successfully It’s natural to be concerned about AI eliminating valuable jobs. Most blue-collar careers are at much lower risk of automation than white-collar jobs. However, AI poses a significant threat to manufacturing, retail, and agriculture careers. Luckily, it will mainly fill empty positions in these industries rather than displacing employees. AI can be a valuable assistant in many situations by reducing workloads and stress.

UNITED NATURAL FOODS

unfi.com

10K+ employees

Since 1978

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UNITED NATURAL FOODS

EVERGREEN INDEX #11558

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UNITED NATURAL FOODS

unfi.com

10K+ employees

Since 1978

COMPANY RANKING

UNITED NATURAL FOODS

EVERGREEN INDEX #11558

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