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Amazon's Just Walk Out terminals at the exit of a shop with signs about the Just Walk Out offer; Copyright: Amazon

Smart stores: no revolution without risk

16/07/2024

Convenient shopping experiences are definitely a competitive advantage for retailers. One concept that retailers are using to appeal to their customers is autonomous shops, known as smart stores.
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A shopping cart from REWE equipped with a tablet; Copyright: REWE

Smart shopping carts get omnichannel shopping rolling

03/07/2024

Several retailers are testing or using smart shopping carts, i.e. digitally upgraded shopping trolleys with various features. They offer customers a more efficient and connected shopping experience.
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Inside of Sam's Club shows the AI and video application technology at its exit; Copyright: Walmart

​​​Sam's Club deploys AI-powered exit technology for Scan & Go

15/05/2024

Sam’s Club members can now exit a lot faster after completing payment at a register or via Scan & Go. AI technology and computer vision capture images of carts and verifies payment for all items.
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A shopping cart with a display on the handle; Copyright: ColruytGroup

Smart Cart developed and tested in-house at Colruyt Lowest Prices

22/03/2024

Customers at Colruyt Lowest Prices might see a very special cart popping up in the aisles of their store. A new type of innovative shopping cart will be tested.
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A robot stands in front of a wine rack with the text

The "Concept Store" at ProWein 2024 showcases innovations for the wine trade

04/03/2024

A "concept store" will be on display at the ProWein 2024 wine and spirits trade fair. Suppliers will show ways in which product presentation and the sales process in the wine trade can be improved.
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A drawing of a woman who leaves a no check-out store; Copyright: Avery Dennison

Check-out free shopping wins loyalty from younger consumers

25/01/2024

New research reveals: More than a third of shoppers say they would switch to a retailer that offers check-out free stores.
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A person stands at the scan-free checkout; Copyright: Tesco

Tesco trials new scan-free technology on self-service tills

11/12/2023

Customers at the Tesco Fulham Reach Express will be able to just walk up to the scan-free checkout and it will magically present them with a list of the products they have picked up, so they don’t have to spend any time scanning each item. They can check the list and then pay in the usual way.
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A self-service shelf for bakery products with many compartments; Copyright: Shop-IQ

AI for baking stations: Freshness is king

12/09/2023

The Smart Bakery Box, an AI-driven system, analyzes the sales figures of self-service baking stations and determines the optimal production quantity.
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A woman working in a supermarket is showing a customer how to work a self checkout terminal; Copyright: Envato/seventyfourimages

Established vendors and new entrants compete in buoyant self-checkout market

23/08/2023

Global EPOS and Self-Checkout 2023 shows that with an ever-wider range of retailers embracing the technology, competition in the market remains fierce.
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A REWE Pick and Go store in Cologne from the inside; Copyright: Michael Breuer | photokonzept.de

Self-checkout: Smarter ways to pay

08/08/2023

Companies the world over are both collaborating and competing to develop self-service systems and self-service checkouts that enable an autonomous shopping experience.
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The Caper Cart in a Store; Copyright: instacart

Schnucks and Instacart expand with smart carts

31/07/2023

Schnuck Markets, Inc. and Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced the companies will expand their omnichannel partnership by deploying Caper Carts, Instacart’s smart carts, in select stores.
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A Selfly freezer in an airport; Copyright: Selfly Store

Automated retail: Selfly Store introduces intelligent freezer

04/07/2023

In April, the vending company Selfly Store introduced its latest product: the Selfly Freezer. We spoke to CMO Malin Östman about first experiences with the smart freezer and the potential of unmanned shopping.
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A refrigerated shelf with glass door with food inside, a hand holding a smartphone in front of it; Copyright: Colruyt Group.

Tech innovations for urban shopping convenience

30/05/2023

The Belgian Colruyt Group is testing various innovative store and shopping concepts. Much of this revolves around technology-supported shopping convenience in cities.
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The Express Store by Viessmann and Pixevia at EuroShop 2023 with a refrigerated island in front of the small store; Copyright: Viessmann

Express Store from Viessmann and Pixevia at EuroShop 2023

01/05/2023

Enabling a comfortable "just-walk-out" shopping experience, thanks to state-of-the-art technology: Viessmann presented such a convenience store at EuroShop 2023 in Düsseldorf.
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The OKay Direct Container in Lennik; Copyright: Colruyt Group

Second OKay Direct arrives in Lennik

03/02/2023

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An autonomous Zabka Nano Store; Copyright: Zabka Group

Autonomous stores: Grab&Go concepts multiplying

03/01/2023

The autonomous store, which enables shopping with an automated payment process in the background, represents a major leap forward in innovation in the retail sector.
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Interactive screen in the window of the BOSS store in London; The new Zara store from the outside; Copyright: DOMO FOTOGRAFIA S.L: HUGO BOSS

Retail Store Concept: Reimagining Traditional Shopping

19/09/2022

The new store of Spanish fashion brand Zara on Madrid’s Plaza de España not only entices shoppers with its design but also addresses topics that modern consumers continue to embrace: returns management, sustainability, and innovative checkout systems.
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A seemingly human eye, around it rows of numbers representing artificial intelligence; Copyright: PantherMedia/sergey_nivens (YAYMicro)

Machine vision: Cameras observe and "think along"

08/03/2022

Machine vision has recently made great strides. It is also being used in the area of checkout control in retail.
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A small grocery store of Billa in a container on a parking lot in front of alpine scenery; copyright: Billa

Automated smart stores: Never run out of milk for your cereal ever again!

27/10/2021

While stores with no (sales) staff sounded like science fiction just a few short years ago, they are now fast becoming a reality. Even though smart stores are not yet the new retail norm across the board, they are moving away from being sporadic, mere testing locations and pilot projects.
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Unmanned store of Carrefour on orange ground; copyright: Carrefour Express 24/7

Shopping 24/7: Staff-free operated stores

31/03/2021

Tiny store, micro store, smart store, vending machine store – different names for concepts that all have the same goal: Customers shop 24/7 in staff-free stores.
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Exterior view of the TYPY store; copyright: CAMPO GmbH

Customer experience: Make it speedy, safe, and simple please!

03/12/2020

Instead of extensive, personal consultation and on-site customer service, the new store concept of the TYPY store in Düsseldorf relies on technologies that make shopping quick and easy.
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Several people scooping lettuce at a salad counter; copyright: Picadeli

Self-service food options: A taste of the future?

05/11/2020

Supermarkets want to exploit the gastronomic "to go" potential and offer ready meals or salad bars. How can grocers score here in the future?
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A woman walks into a store and holds a smartphone up to a reader; copyright: Zippin

Checkout-free and unmanned stores

31/07/2020

Completely cashierless or staff-free stores are still rare, but there are successful examples. Will they soon become a serious alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar stores?
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