Walmart aims for 65% of stores to be automation serviced by 2026

They already are, with the added benefit of not having to leave your house.

It's essentially a L3 cache vs L1(vending machine) or L2(local store), trading latency for selection size.

There is rampant theft in retail in SF? What kind of products, living essentials or luxury goods?

If its living essentials, locking them behind a secure vending machine could mean the next easiest target would be people's homes...

Yeah, but then you will only buy what you need. Your kid won't see something it wants and beg you. Part of the store is walking around and making unexpected purchases.

Wouldn't it be easier to enforce the laws and imprison criminals than to entirely reinvent retail?