The Phoenix humanoid navigates the department store using lidar and semantic maps trained on historical floor plans. During store hours it greets shoppers, checks inventory through handheld scanners and escalates complex queries to human associates.

At night the robot coordinates with autonomous stock carts, moving bins between the loading dock and sales floor. Sanctuary logs interactions in real time so managers can tune workflows and ensure compliance with customer privacy rules.

Hudson's Bay says the pilot aims to cover labor gaps during peak holiday shopping. Sanctuary plans to expand to two additional Canadian stores if KPIs around customer satisfaction and restocking accuracy hold through December.