Would you get a manicure from a ROBOT? Company inks Target deal to disrupt the $6.5BN nail industry 

We’re used to robot vacuums and robots in factories – but would you get a manicure from a robot?

Clockwork, which says it designs robots to ‘liberate people from everyday mundane tasks,’ just inked a deal to put its manicure machines inside six Target locations across the United States – including locations in Texas, California and Minnesota.

The bots utilize artificial intelligence and 3-D technology to determine the size and shape of a person’s hands and then provide manicures in only 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 they’re widely embraced by consumers. 

The bots utilize artificial intelligence and 3-D technology to determine the size and shape of a person’s hands and then provide manicures in only ten minutes for $10

‘We’re pushing tens of thousands of partnership requests at this point,’ Clockwork CEO Renuka Apte told Yahoo Finance. ‘Most of the contracts we’re signing today are for next year… We are backed up due to very strong demand.’ 

‘From dentists to retail — everyone is saying this makes sense in our location,’ she added. ‘Our rule of thumb has always been to be where people already are, and where they’re spending most of their time.’ 

A traditional manicure from a human in a salon can cost $30 to well over $100 depending on the type of experience – and takes at least 45 minutes to an hour.  

Last year, Clockwork provided the bot manicures 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 they’re widely embraced by consumers

Boston Consulting Group projects the market for all professional services robots, which includes the manicure bots, to grow in the coming years and reach $170 billion by 2030

‘Why nails? For many of us, it’s a weekly task to check off the list. Most people spend 60 minutes per week on their nails,’ the company says on its website. 

‘That’s 3,120 minutes a year! But if we can cut that down to just 10 minutes—what would you do with those extra moments?’

Boston Consulting Group projects the market for all professional services robots, which includes the manicure bots, to grow in the coming years and reach $170 billion by 2030. 

Consultant Jerry Storch told Yahoo Finance that retail brands are increasingly looking to turn the shopping experience into something more special as a way to drive in-person traffic.

‘The more fun added to the store environment, the better it is. I applaud Target for doing it,’ Storch said. ‘This is something clever and fun.’ 

The company’s robots have been in development since 2017.

‘The more fun added to the store environment, the better it is. I applaud Target for doing it,’ consultant Jerry Storch said. ‘This is something clever and fun’