As anyone who's ever been forced to wear a headset and fold khaki cargo shorts for 40 hours a week at Old Navy for minimum wage can tell you, working retail is trash.
It's only a matter of time before retail becomes another sector that gets fully automated. Naturally, Japan's already one step ahead of us. An android has been installed at a Japanese department store as a receptionist to greet shoppers as they enter the store. Aiko Chihira will help customers with directions in the store and will serve as an information kiosk of sorts. Aiko can only read scripted exchanges for right now, but Toshiba has promised that she'll be getting an upgrade soon that will expand her vocabulary. Until then her dead eyes and rictus grin should be enough to keep us all secure in the knowledge that none of us will have jobs in another 20 years.