A significant number of Australian retailers (44%) are either investing in or planning to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to recent research conducted by Shopify. These technologies are being employed for various purposes, with the top five use cases being: improving employee experience, enhancing the customer online experience, predictive analytics, handling customer service inquiries, and content creation.

Australian businesses are implementing automation and AI in areas that consume more resources than necessary. Almost two-thirds (64%) of retailers plan to utilise automation technology to enhance employee experience and manage lower-value tasks. Furthermore, 40% of retailers are looking to adopt AI and automation in the next year to assist them in handling customer service inquiries, while 32% are considering these technologies for improving logistics and delivery processes.

To answer this demand and accelerate the innovative AI opportunities for retailers today, Shopify Founder and CEO, Tobi Lütke, provided a sneak peek into some of the AI product offerings that Shopify is working on. One of these offerings is Sidekick, a first-of-its-kind natural language interface that makes every user a power user. With Sidekick, merchants have an AI-powered digital assistant that will do everything from time-sucking administrative work to complex creative tasks. 

As the first AI-enabled commerce assistant, Sidekick allows entrepreneurs to harness the power of AI to increase productivity, improve workflows, make smarter decisions, and dedicate more time to growing their businesses. Sidekick can comprehend and interpret questions or prompts, enabling business owners to generate new ideas or accomplish tasks using regular, everyday language.

“We’ve only just scratched the surface on AI’s real-world application for small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said James Johnson, Director of Technology Services & Enterprise, APAC at Shopify. “As entrepreneurs face new challenges everyday – often alone – doing more with less is critical to success and AI technology has the power to increase productivity, improve workflows and make smarter decisions without the need for a technical skillset. This kind of innovation is set to revolutionise what it means to run a small business, and support Australian retailers to get ahead.”

Business owners can ask clarifying questions or prompt Sidekick to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. It understands context in real-time, and can help people make smarter decisions that propel their business forward by simply asking things like “how to set up a discount for a holiday sale” to “help me segment my customers so I can better engage them in my marketing.” 

As Australian retailers face mounting economic pressures, AI and automation have emerged as crucial tools for enhancing efficiency and doing more with less. Shopify merchant Vincent Lebon, Founder, CEO, and Designer, from Rollie Nation agrees that AI is a game changer, saying “I see AI as revolutionary as the internet. I think AI is going to play a huge, huge role in the future, whether that’s through material science, design, helping make more informed decisions and prediction analysis. I think, right now, people are looking at operational efficiencies, and that’s a very surface level aspect of what AI is going to provide.”

This unveiling marks the introduction of a new suite of AI tools offered by Shopify. On July 26th, Shopify will be announcing its 2023 Summer Editions, unlocking unprecedented capabilities for their merchants. These advancements aim to boost creativity and productivity among entrepreneurs, empowering them to scale their businesses while saving time and streamlining operations.

While some small Australian retailers are surpassing performance expectations in the face of significant challenge, many say they are failing to meet their financial benchmarks, the inaugural ARA & American Express Small Retail Index has revealed.

The report reveals 17% of SMBs have remained resilient in the face of a consumer spending slowdown and rising costs of doing business; performing above (15%) or far above (2%) their expectations for the FY23.  On the other hand, 41% of SMB retailers are performing below (33%) or far below (8%) their FY23 financial forecasts.

Unsurprisingly, more than 91% of SMBs have seen cost increases in their businesses across the past 12 months, however around one-third (32%) say their costs have increased more than 10% – which is above the level of inflation.

As economic conditions become more challenging, retailers are increasingly prioritising the acquisition of new customers and building customer loyalty.

Key findings of the ARA & American Express Small Retail Index:

• An equal number of businesses feel somewhat confident (23%) or very confident (11%) to those who feel somewhat concerned (25%) or very concerned (9%) about the financial year ahead – both totalling 34%.
• Uncertainty is also a key theme with 32% of SMB’s feeling uncertain about the year ahead. This will impact growth, employment and investment decisions.
• The consumer spending slowdown and rising wage costs are the most pressing concerns for SMBs in the year ahead.
• Acquiring new customers and encouraging customer loyalty are top SMB priorities for the year ahead.
• The rising cost of doing business is a consistent concern with wage pressures, the cost of goods and services and cash flow management high on the list of concerns.
• SMBs are absorbing cost increases by passing higher costs onto customers (24%), with 19% of SMBs reducing margin and looking for cost savings in the business (16%). Furthermore, 12% have reduced staff and 7% have reduced stores or store hours.
• SMBs say among the measures they would like to see from government are: tax breaks, reduced inflation and relief for utilities, leasing and wage costs.

ARA CEO Paul Zahra said the index – which is the first to focus exclusively on SMB retailers in Australia – highlights the unprecedented pressure small retailers are under.

“I cannot recall a period of more significant challenge for our retail community – with our small retailers disproportionately affected by ongoing revenue and resource pressures,” Zahra said.

“2023 ushered in the perfect storm for retail – a spending slowdown, coupled with the rising cost of doing business, all taking place alongside the largest set of government reforms in decades and a retail crime wave that is impacting the wellbeing of workers and the bottom line of companies.

“We are concerned about the outlook for small retailers in these tumultuous economic conditions and the toll these pressures are taking.

“Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and it’s vital that they receive adequate support.”

Emily Roberts, Vice President and General Manager of Consumer and Commercial Services at American Express said the index serves as a vital barometer of the wellbeing of Australia’s small retail sector.

“Following years of consumer uncertainty, supply chain constraints and economic pressures, this research commissioned by the Australian Retailers Association and American Express paints a picture of an industry that is bracing for more challenges ahead,” Roberts said.

“Despite this, history has shown that no industry is more resilient and better positioned to emerge from adversity.

“Retailers that adapt how they build, market and sell their products to meet new consumer behaviours will be best placed to acquire new customers, secure their loyalty and navigate the challenges to come.”

The ARA & American Express Small Retail Index survey was conducted online nationally during May – June 2023. Almost 400 retailers were surveyed, with retail turnovers below $50m.

Most of the survey participants had retail turnovers below $5m.

Download the ARA & American Express Small Retail Index here.

New data shows Australian companies are improving staff retention rates by up to 39% by offering their workers flexible pay.

Australian Earned Wage Access (EWA) provider Paytime has analysed the staff retention rates of companies using their platform and found an average increase in staff tenure of over 18% and as high as 39% in some industries.

“With the cost of living being a major pain point for employees at the moment, more and more employers are looking at what will help alleviate the financial stress of their staff,” says Paytime CEO, Steven Furman.

“Giving workers access to their earned wages before payday is a simple, effective and proven way for companies to increase the average tenure of their staff,” he says.

“Forward thinking companies are realising that a focus on financial wellbeing is critical in the current economic climate and with a tight labour market,” says Mr Furman.

Earned wage access allows employees to access a portion of their pay when it suits them so they do not have to rely on-demand pay advance apps, BNPL schemes or payday loans to make ends meet between pay cycles.

In the US and UK Earned Wage Access is already a commonplace offering with Bupa, Amazon, McDonalds, KFC, Virgin Active, Target, Unilever, Hilton Hotels, Paypal, Tesla and many other companies which have this in place for their staff.

Paytime has seen a 600% surge in enquiries over the past year as more Australians live paycheque to paycheque, struggling with rising interest rates and the cost of living. 

“Even those that are on higher salaries are using Paytime to put their salary into their mortgage offset accounts on a weekly basis to save on interest, fees and charges, in order to pay down the mortgage quicker,” says Mr Furman.

“The number of earned wage access requests we’re processing through the app has increased by more than 340% over the past 12 months,” he adds.

“We’ve also found implementing flexible pay improves staff morale, with 73% of users stating they feel more in control of their finances after implementing and using the app,” he says.

Aussies spend less online on average, nearly $600 less than they were a year ago, according to the latest Digital Economy Index from leading global financial platform Airwallex.

The Airwallex Quarterly Digital Economy Index records year-to-date spending per adult, as well as quarter-by-quarter snapshots of the digital economy by state and industry.

The latest Index highlighted green shoots in the online spending growth of Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and WA, despite a nationwide dip of 1.82% worth $523.3 million for Q2 this year compared to Q2 2022. Online spending is estimated to have dropped $587 per adult across the 12-month period up to and including Q2 2023, compared to Q2 2022.

The Index also recorded strong upticks in online education and travel spending; however, these were overshadowed by a decline in retail, insurance and self-managed investments.

Aussies spend less online key figures

Full data tables of digital spending per person for each state, as well as digital business turnover by state and industry, are available at the end of this media release.

• NSW: Overall decline in revenue turnover compared to last year (-7.93%) driven by a steep drop in online subscriptions (-17.75%) and travel spending (-9.15%). However, digital travel businesses have seen a rebound compared to Q1 this year (+15.11%).
• VIC: Victoria’s digital businesses saw a nearly 6% lift in revenue turnover (vs Q2 2022) on the back of a jump in e-commerce spending (+8.28%) and education (+4.24%). Digital travel spending continues to drag however, dipping -1.91%.
• QLD: Queensland’s digital economy rose +3.90% compared to last year, influenced by a 5.2% increase in online travel spending. Queensland is seeing declines in spending in online education (-5.55%) and e-commerce (-5.60%).
• WA: Western Australia’s digital economy grew at 2.81% for the year, thanks to a surge in online technology and digital content spending (+5.22%) and travel booked online (+6.77%). WA e-commerce businesses have seen an overall 7.71% drop in spending compared to last year, and down 4.9% compared to Q1 this year.
• SA: South Australia had the worst performing digital economy this quarter, according to the Index, with online spending shrinking 16.77% and declines recorded across all industries in the digital economy for both time periods (vs Q2 2022 and vs Q1 2023). 
• TAS: Tasmania’s digital economy continues to be a powerhouse, with revenue turnover increasing 12.8% compared to last year. However, there are signs a contraction is looming with a -4.89% drop compared to Q1 this year. Tasmania’s online travel sector is driving the growth, spiking 15.01% for the year.

Airwallex Director of Strategy for Australia and New Zealand, Amelia Hamer, said the Index showed the spending downturn was uneven across the country as different parts of Australia felt the effects of the broader uncertain economic environment.

“Across the digital economy, we see Australians are holding back on their discretionary spending,” Hamer said.

“As interest rates have climbed and cost-of-living pressures have increased, it’s no surprise Australians are being more selective about where they spend online.

“We see several bright spots in Australia’s digital economy, with the technology, education and travel sectors seeing the most upside.

“There are still lingering effects of the travel bounceback post-COVID in this data, with the surge in online travel particularly benefitting destinations like Queensland, Tasmania and WA.

“However, the data shows that NSW is bearing the brunt of the change in how Australians are spending their money online. This downturn is something we’re seeing in the quarter-by-quarter comparisons in other states too.”

Many businesses are hit with price hikes across the board in a high inflationary environment, including AusPost price hikes. The higher cost of doing business is placing an incredible amount of pressure on small businesses, who are already pressed for margin or do not have the scale to command strong negotiating power like their larger competitors. This puts small business owners in a precarious position – absorb the margin hit or pass this cost onto consumers with the risk of impacting demand? At Shippit we strongly believe that a retailer’s delivery proposition is the most effective way to drive customer loyalty and repeat purchases outside of selling great products. It has never been more important for retailers to deeply understand their delivery experience and how to price it effectively.

There are two primary ways to save money on shipping; either renegotiate with your existing carrier or implement a multi-carrier strategy (ie, leverage rate structures across multiple providers). Putting your eggs in one basket in a high inflationary environment exposes your operations to significant risk. From our experience, retailers that implement a multi-carrier see 2x faster growth and save up to 20% on freight spend while maintaining service quality.

Distance and the uncertainty around successful on-time delivery drive up costs in the delivery process. With this we have seen retailers move their inventory closer to their customers through their physical store footprint or micro-fulfilment hubs. A cost effective method for small businesses that are unable to do this can look at offering a click & collect proposition through PUDO  (Pick-Up Drop-Off) providers. 

Finally cost recovery on shipping fees is becoming more common – taking a portfolio based approach to pricing is critical. For example, paying for on demand delivery or imposing a fee on customers that live in regional or rural locations whilst offering free and fast delivery for set basket thresholds. 

Given the growing presence of foreign marketplaces that prioritise free, fast, and dependable delivery, we strongly encourage all Australian retailers to prioritise and invest in enhancing their delivery experience during this era of uncertainty.

Contributed by Rob Hango-Zada, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Shippit

While signs show that the post-pandemic “Great Resignation” era may have passed its peak, with job advertisements declining in the second half of 2022, vacancy rates still remain at levels not seen since the GFC. ^[1] New concerning research commissioned by business loan comparison site Small Business Loans Australia reveals that the labour-shortage struggle is not over, with more than two-thirds of businesses grappling to find staff. 

The survey comprised an independent panel of 210 business owners or senior decision-makers across the full SME spectrum of micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Almost 80 per cent of micro-businesses are unable to find staff.

According to Small Business Loans Australia, businesses of all sizes have been significantly impacted by the difficulty of finding suitable staff. Among them, micro-businesses have faced the greatest challenges, with 79 per cent of respondents struggling to fill job vacancies. Although 21 per cent of micro-businesses believe that 2023 has been comparatively easier for staff recruitment compared to the previous year, the survey results present a different picture for small and medium-sized businesses. In fact, the findings indicate that the situation has continued to worsen for a significant portion of these businesses in 2023, with 29 per cent of small businesses and 27 per cent of medium-sized businesses reporting ongoing difficulties in finding qualified employees.

The results reveal the impacts of the labour shortage being felt nationally, with similar rates of difficulty indicated across the majority of major Australian States. Western Australia has the highest number of businesses struggling to fill staff roles (76%), followed closely by ACT (75%). Queensland and Victorian businesses are also struggling, with 73 per cent experiencing the same level of difficulty, or more, than in 2022. ACT business reported more difficulty finding staff than last year (50%) compared to WA (33%), NSW (29%), VIC (28%) and Queensland (20%). Conversely, 80 per cent of South Australian businesses found it easier to employ new staff in 2023, than in 2022. 

Labour shortages are having the most impact in the private sector, with more than 90 per cent of the 480,000 job vacancies this time last year, belonging to private companies. Businesses in the health and tech industries have experienced some respite, with 56 per cent and 65 per cent, respectively reporting it as easier to fill vacancies than in 2022. Meanwhile, more than 80 per cent of hospitality businesses, which typically experience high turnover rates and are dependent on casual staff, continue to struggle to fill roles at the same rate, or worse, than in 2022. By far, the worst affected industries are manufacturing and agriculture, where 94 per cent and 100 per cent, respectively are unable to fulfil staff vacancies.  

Alon Rajic, Founder and Managing Director of Small Business Loans Australia, says: “The problem of finding staff is nationwide, and can be attributed to a combination of factors, including burn-out among working-age Australians and changes in employment law, including increased minimum wages. SMEs appear to be hit hardest, which is concerning as they constitute the vast majority of the Australian business market.” 

“Employers should alter their expectations when hiring new staff, and instil operational changes, which will change how their current employees work, such as adopting time-saving automation where possible in their day-to-day business.” 

The full survey results, including breakdowns across business sizes and States, can be found here: https://smallbusinessloansaustralia.com/sme-employees-2023/ 

EPOS, the premium audio company,has announced the launch of the IMPACT 5000T Series, which is Certified for Microsoft Teams. The IMPACT 5000T is a flexible wireless DECT headset solution and the first ever EPOS product to meet the Microsoft Teams Open Office specifications. For superior sound, even in noisy offices.

A Superior User Experience

Modern professionals need to be able to communicate and collaborate effectively when working in Open Office spaces, be it in the workplace or at home. The IMPACT 5000T has been designed to deliver a flexible headset solution that offers seamless integration with Teams. Built on EPOS BrainAdapt™ technology, this series enables users to stay focused for longer and boost productivity.
 Certified for Microsoft Teams, the IMPACT 5000T Series and IMPACT SDW D1 USB (DECT Dongle) ensure a high-quality end-user experience. A dedicated Teams button activates Teams and responds to notifications with a single click. The discreet LED light also indicates when there is a new message, a missed call, or a when new meeting begins.

Supreme Voice Clarity, Maximum Comfort, and Absolute Flexibility

Those working in busy office environments cannot afford to have unwanted ambient noise and neighbouring voices disrupting calls. With super wideband sound and an advanced two-microphone noise-cancelling system, the IMPACT 5000T provides ultimate voice clarity for high-quality, crystal-clear calls every time.
 
IMPACT 5000T is developed to meet the requirements of a modern workforce, with plug-and-play functionality, triple connectivity to your computer, desk, and mobile phone, and a wireless range of up to 180 m / 590 ft, allowing users to move with flexibility around the office. Users can enjoy all-day wearability, with soft leatherette earpads and flexible wearing styles for hours of comfort.

IMPACT 5000T Keeps Conversations Secure

The ever-growing trend towards increased flexibility and mobility in the office has huge benefits for productivity, collaboration, and customer service. However, as with all communications technology, security is a primary concern. Protected Pairing, 128-bit authentication, and DECT Security certification offer a high level of safety against unauthorised third-party access. This ensures that conversations are truly private and protected from security breaches.
Theis Mørk, Vice President, Global Product Management at EPOS comments: ‘‘We are proud to announce the release of the Certified for Microsoft Teams IMPACT 5000T, which has been rigorously tested to meet Open Office specifications. This new addition to the IMPACT 5000 series empowers modern professionals by providing a flexible headset solution that delivers a seamless end-user experience in any environment.’’

IMPACT 5000T is Available now for $309 RRP

Coinciding with Xero Day 2023 – the day of Xero’s founding 17 years ago – Xero, the global small business platform, has announced a new global small business fund with more than AUD$690,000 in funding, to support the future aspirations of small businesses globally.

The Xero Beautiful Business Fund will officially launch with a call for entries at Xerocon Sydney, taking place in Sydney on 23-24 August 2023. 

Designed to celebrate small businesses, empower success and accelerate their growth, the Xero Beautiful Business Fund will be open to Xero small business customers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

Customers in each country will be eligible to apply for the following beautiful business fund categories that best suit their needs. 

• Innovating for sustainability: For small businesses who want to take the next step on their sustainability journey. It could be to move to sustainable packaging, implement energy-efficient equipment or carbon neutral transport. 
• Trailblazing with technology: For small businesses seeking to take the next step to supercharge their business by digitalising parts of their operations or integrating new emerging technologies.
• Strengthening community connection: For small businesses or non-profits striving towards community connection. It could be to contribute to philanthropy, social good, or make an impact on the community in a meaningful way. 
• Upskilling for the future: For small businesses seeking to support upskilling for themselves or their employees so they can access training and development to further grow. 

For each category, there will be seven regional winners identified by a regional judging panel. The pool of regional winners in each category will then be evaluated by a global judging panel and the winner of each category will receive an additional global prize. 

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Xero CEO said: “Xero Day – the anniversary of when it all started for Xero – is our opportunity to connect and celebrate our small business customers all around the world. This year, we are pleased to be launching the Xero Beautiful Business Fund to allocate funds to back small businesses in their future aspirations and help them achieve whatever success means to them.

“We believe small businesses run the world and as champions of small business, Xero is providing an opportunity for customers to apply for funding to take their next step. Whether that be to support a passion to become a more sustainable business, upskill employees, philanthropic work in the community, or integrating the latest AI into their business, the fund is here to help small businesses meet their dreams.”

The application, inclusive of a written form and a short video submission, will be available beginning on 23 August 2023 with the application period closing on 6 October 2023. 

Information on the Xero Beautiful Business Fund can be found at xero.com/beautiful-business-fund. Full terms and conditions including eligibility criteria will be available when entries open.

“The launch of Threads as a competitor to Twitter is a game-changer.

“Other platforms have attempted to serve as alternatives to Twitter since Elon Musk took over, with limited success.

“Mastodon was the first main ‘escape plan’ for Twitter fans, but many found it difficult to use (with multiple decentralised servers) and not replicate many of the features they loved about Twitter (such as viewing content from beyond your immediate circle through ‘likes’).

“Bluesky is another alternative, first conceived of by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey back in 2019 and launched in 2022. However, it has limited its subscriber base so far, with access by invitation only at this stage. People who are interested can sign up for the waiting list, but the timeline for access is unclear.

“Spoutible and Post launched in similar ways, also potentially relevant to Twitter audiences, but with limited subscriber access so far.

“What may give Threads an edge is that it’s a text-feed platform that looks and feels like Twitter;  it’s linked to Instagram, so it will enable people to use their same username; and people will be able to engage with their Instagram followers directly.

“This last point is critical. People are not just looking for something that offers similar functionality to Twitter. They want a platform where they can quickly find people they’re already engaging with so they can maintain social connections and not have to “start over” to build their community when they transition to a new platform.

“Instagram is already facilitating this by launching a ‘cheat’ for users to be among the first to download the new app by searching for ‘thread’ or ‘threads’ in Instagram’s search box and clicking on the red ‘admit one’ ticket icon to the right of the search box.

“Many users already have thousands of trusted followers and have built communities of like-minded people.

“Journalists and the public, for example, used Twitter to connect with experts and the original ‘blue ticks’ gave people certainty that they were engaging with authoritative sources.

“If Meta’s Threads can keep the features people love, not charge fees, offer easy access to existing followers, and provide a mechanism to verify accounts (especially to manage misinformation), it may well become a viable replacement for Twitter and increase the mass exodus that has already begun from Twitter’s core user base.”

Thoughts from: Professor Lisa Given is a Professor of Information Sciences and Director of RMIT’s Social Change Enabling Impact Platform. Her research examines people’s use of technology tools for decision-making in business contexts and everyday life.

ECOVACS ROBOTICS, the world’s leading service robotics brand and Australian market leader, has today been awarded a Canstar Blue 2023 Innovation Excellence Award for Cleaning Appliances for its recently-launched WINBOT W1 PRO robotic window cleaner.

Canstar Blue’s Innovation Excellence Awards are scored based on product uniqueness and how disruptive or new it is to the category, measuring the impact these innovative products have on consumers’ everyday lives.

The WINBOT W1 PRO robotic window cleaner features a range of proprietary cleaning and suction technology, and delivers a spotless and simple clean that epitomises ECOVACS’ commitment to deliver innovative home robotics to Australians that bring convenience and true time-saving benefits.

The WINBOT W1 PRO has been recognised by Canstar Blue due to its design, enabling Australians to clean without hassle, with features including dual direction cross auto-spray technology, powerful steady-climbing system, WIN-SLAM 3.0 path planning, anti-flare edge detection technology and strong suction power of 2800Pa. Its compatibility with the user-friendly ECOVACS App and ability to vocalise real time updates further enables a hands-free cleaning experience, freeing up time to focus on other activities, with the WINBOT W1 PRO also delivering an incredible clean to normally hard to reach areas.

Christine Seib, Editor in Chief, Canstar Blue:

 “The WINBOT W1 PRO’s mix of effectiveness, convenience and connectivity is what wowed Canstar Blue’s Innovation Excellence judging panel, which recognised that the combination relied on the development of multiple proprietary technologies by ECOVACS. Maintaining streak-free glass in and around the home is few people’s favourite job – and a job that’s just not physically possible for many householders – so the WINBOT W1 PRO also addresses a real consumer need.”

“This isn’t surprising from a company that has received multiple Innovation Excellence awards in the Appliances category due to its sharp focus on meeting Australians’ growing interest in time-saving robotic appliances with consistently strong product offerings.”

Karen Powell, Regional Director of Australia and New Zealand, ECOVACS ROBOTICS:

“We are honoured to be recognised in this year’s Canstar Blue Innovation Excellence Awards, which is made even more special by being the only brand recognised in Cleaning Appliances, for our WINBOT W1 PRO. It also marks the third year in a row that ECOVACS has won this award, an acknowledgement of our track record in consistently delivering new innovation, year-after-year, that delivers true convenience and time-saving benefits into Australian homes.”

“As we celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2023, being recognised in this way by Canstar Blue is particularly meaningful, and we remain committed to leading advancements in home robotics into the future.”

WINBOT W1 PRO robotic window cleaner

Powerful steady climbing system and strong suction power combine to deliver a stable and firm cleaning experience

Built with high-quality materials and strong driving treads, the WINBOT W1 PRO has precise gravity settings that enables for a smooth and stable window cleaning experience. Combined with its strong suction power of 2800Pa, not only does this technology further strengthen the grip of the WINBOT W1 PRO on windows, it also delivers a firmer wipe.

Advanced WIN-SLAM 3.0 technology for a smart and systematic cleaning path

With the intelligent WIN-SLAM 3.0 technology, the WINBOT W1 PRO creates a thorough and comprehensive clean. Automatically cleaning in a back-and forth motion, it comes in three adaptive modes including fast clean, deep clean and spot clean.

Dual direction cross auto-spray delivers an efficient wide-angle clean

The WINBOT W1 PRO features a unique cross spraying technology that allows stains to be both dissolved and then wiped off no matter the size of the window. Its 60mL reservoir and wide range spray angle reduces the frequency of cloth changes needed and allows all cleaning areas to be kept wet, ensuring an efficient high-quality window cleaning experience is achieved.

Anti-flare edge detection allows for cleaning route adjustments

Featuring high-precision sensors, the WINBOT W1 PRO can smartly detect edges such as frameless windows. This technology means that it is able to adjust its cleaning route in just 0.02 seconds, making it suitable for all types of glass cleaning. 

Fitted with a microfiber cleaning pad for great water absorption

The WINBOT W1 PRO comes with a large microfiber material that allows for great water absorption and cleaning without any water streaks.

User-friendly app combined with real time updates enables for a hands-free clean

ECOVACS’ user-friendly app means that the WINBOT W1 PRO can be easily, conveniently, and remotely controlled. Combined with its ability to vocalise real time updates, time can now be spent on other tasks and a completely hands-free window cleaning experience can be achieved.

Pricing and Availability

The WINBOT W1 PRO is available now with a recommended retail price of $799. It is available instore at select Bing Lee stores, and online from JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, The Good Guys, Robot Specialist, Amazon, eBay or ECOVACS.com/au