3 minute read
Out the Box
by 55 North
‘Smart’ space
A new autonomous vending machine promises to bring stores closer to customers.
A new autonomous ‘cabinet’ is thelatest tech innovation to hit the market,aiming to make shopping easier andless complicated for the consumer.
WHAT’S THE BIG CONCEPT?
We all know vending machines. They have been around for decades, but lately they have been getting all sorts of revamps.The latest one from tech start-up Sensei aims to remove all the hassle: no fumbling for cash or contactless pay, no products getting stuck in the machine, no time wasted.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Shoppers download the Sensei app and use it to scan a code on the vending machine, which then opens the cabinet’s door. Shoppers take the items they want, which are automatically added to the app’s basket, and then pay on their phone.
“Vendors benefit from real-time stock management and consumers benefit from ultra-convenience,” the company said on social media.
“From offices to apartment block buildings and universities to gyms, people can choose the products they want and be automatically charged for what they keep, without the hassle of traditional vending solutions.”
HOW WILL IT BENEFIT RETAIL?
The start-up claims that the new solution allows retailers to reduce operational costs thanks to its ‘smart inventory management system,’ and increase sales by selling high-value products.
Sensei is not stopping there though; it is also providing an autonomous ‘smart store’ retail experience for petrol stations following a tie-up with Portuguese energy company Galp.
The smart store works in the same way as the cabinet – no scanning product codes, no checkouts, and no physical payments. It offers food, snacks, and beverages, supported by a network of cameras mounted on the ceiling and sensors in shelves to detect the items people pick or leave.
“This new autonomous pod, which is mobile and street-facing, enables us to offer more for people walking by on the street or stopping at the station for food, enabling them to purchase grab-and-go meals, snacks, drinks and other products with the ease and speed that only autonomous technology provides, whilst avoiding the queues caused by fuel purchasers,” Teresa Abecasis, Executive Board Member and Chief Operating Officer at Galp, said.
SHOULD RETAILERS BE WORRIED?
According to Sensei’s own research, 70% of the Brits questioned said they wanted an autonomous shopping experience.
One of the leading factors driving consumers towards autonomous retail is the convenience of queue-free shopping (60%), its research found. And almost half (47%) said they wanted to be able to shop without checkouts in the future.
But smart stores are not suitable for every demographic and they are not the solution to every problem – including one of convenience. What if computer says no?
