A staff-free c-store looks to change the face of c-store retailing.
Will future convenience stores be run by apps instead of employees? That seems to be the vision Swedish company Wheelys has in mind. Wheelys just opened the first app-controlled, staff-free convenience store in Shanghai.
New Atlas Online reported that the new c-store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the prototype is designed to make it less expensive for small businesses to break into the c-store market. The company first tested the concept in a Swedish town last year.
How it Works
Customers must download an app on their phone, which allows them to access the store. When a customer approaches the store with their registered app, the doors open. The customer selects the items they want and scans the barcode of each item. Their credit card is charged for the purchases.
To prevent theft, a security camera monitors the store. As customers are logged in through the app on entering, they can be identified easily if theft does occur.
New Atlas reported that Wheelys’ ultimate goal is to license the technology, allowing retailers to add it to pre-existing stores.