Would you get a manicure from a ROBOT? Company Offers World’s First Nail Polish Bot Inks Target deal to offer cheap 10-minute manicures to disrupt $6.5 billion nail industry
- Clockwork’s manicure robot has been deployed at six Target locations across the US, including Texas, California and Minnesota
- The machine uses artificial intelligence and 3-D technology to provide the service for people who can pay $10 and leave in ten minutes
- Target is one of several retailers expressing interest in the robots, which could disrupt the $6.5 billion nail industry if adopted by consumers
- “We’re currently sending tens of thousands of partnership requests,” Clockwork CEO Renuka Apte told Yahoo Finance
We’re used to robot vacuums and robots in factories — but would you get a manicure from a robot?
Clockwork, which says it develops robots to “free people from mundane tasks,” just signed a deal to place its manicure machines at six Target locations across the United States — including locations in Texas, California and Minnesota.
The bots use artificial intelligence and 3-D technology to determine the size and shape of a person’s hands, then offer manicures in just ten minutes for $10.
Target is one of several retailers expressing interest in the robots, which could disrupt the $6.5 billion nail industry if widely adopted by consumers.
Clockwork’s manicure robot has been deployed at six Target locations across the US, including Texas, California and Minnesota
The bots use artificial intelligence and 3-D technology to determine the size and shape of a person’s hands, then offer manicures in just ten minutes for $10
“We’re currently sending tens of thousands of partnership requests,” Clockwork CEO Renuka Apte told Yahoo Finance. ‘Most of the contracts we are signing today are for next year… We are supported by very strong demand.’
“From dentists to retailers, everyone says it makes sense where we are,” she added. “Our rule of thumb has always been to be where people already are and where they spend most of their time.”
A traditional manicure by a human at a salon can range from $30 to well over $100, depending on the type of experience — and takes at least 45 minutes to an hour.
Last year, Clockwork made the bot manicure available at a pop-up shop in San Francisco.
Target is one of several retailers expressing interest in the robots, which could disrupt the $6.5 billion nail industry if widely adopted by consumers
The Boston Consulting Group predicts that the market for all professional service robots, including manicure bots, will grow in the coming years and reach $170 billion by 2030
“Why nails? For many of us, checking off the list is a weekly task. Most people spend 60 minutes a week on their nails,” the company says on its website.
“That’s 3,120 minutes a year! But if we could boil that down to just 10 minutes, what would you do with those extra moments?
The Boston Consulting Group predicts that the market for all professional service robots, including manicure bots, will grow in the coming years and reach $170 billion by 2030.
Consultant Jerry Storch told Yahoo Finance that retail brands are increasingly looking to transform the shopping experience into something special to drive in-person traffic.
“The more fun that is added to the store environment, the better it is. I applaud Target for that,” Storch said. “That’s something smart and fun.”
The company’s robots have been in development since 2017.
“The more fun that is added to the store environment, the better it is. I applaud Target for that,” said consultant Jerry Storch. “This is something smart and fun”
