Cashierless store

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Various cameras and sensors being used in the ceiling of an Amazon Go store. Amazon Go at Madison Centre (42589250540).jpg
Various cameras and sensors being used in the ceiling of an Amazon Go store.

A cashierless store (also called a till-less store, checkout-free store or Just walk out store) is a store which allows customers to shop their products and leave without having to wait in line and pay at a checkout. There are four phases when purchasing from a cashierless store: the before-purchase phase, the check-in phase, the product selection phase, and the check-out phase. [1] Each cashierless store utilizes different combinations of technology within these phases. [1] However, generally cashierless stores use sensor fusion and deep learning for computer vision to keep track of customers and products. [1] Existing cashierless stores can currently be found in the United States, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Contents

Process

The process of shopping in a cashierless store can be broken down into four phases: the before-purchase phase, the check-in phase, the product selection phase, and the check-out phase. [1] In the before-purchase phase, an app may need to be downloaded. [1] In the check-in phase, a bar code from the store’s app may need to be scanned in order to enter the store. [1] In the product selection phase, products can usually be selected without taking any preceding actions, but some stores require customers to scan a bar-code on the product or tap a screen to select products. [1] In the check-out phase, stores utilize sensor fusion and deep learning for computer vision to allow customers to walk out with their products without waiting in line at a register. [1]

Technology

Sensor fusion

In cashierless stores, most systems mark each customer with defining features and use cameras and pressure sensors together to keep track of where each customer goes and takes from the shelves. [2] Sensor fusion gathers information from different sensors and compiles it to create an accurate representation of what is happening and the relative positions of objects in an area at a specific time. Sensor fusion is often more accurate than single sensors since the separate measurements can be used to double-check and narrow the margin of error.

Deep learning for computer vision

Deep learning for computer vision is used in cashierless stores to track customers and products. Computer vision is the computer’s ability to interpret real-life images and video feeds. [3] Computer vision uses deep learning to make interpretations of the real world. [4] Deep learning allows computers to learn from large amounts of data similarly to how the human brain would. [4] Deep learning for computer vision tracks customers and products using object detection, multitarget tracking, and pose estimation. [5] Object detection is the process of identifying objects within an image. [5] Object detection is useful in identifying instances when a customer picks up and puts down an object, or for identifying the products on each of the shelves. [5] Multitarget tracking approximately locates a moving person within consecutive frames of images. [5] Multitarget tracking allows stores to keep track of each customer and their actions, like what products they picked up and put back and when they entered and exited the store. [5] Pose estimation is the process of using an image to track a person using the positions of their body parts, like their head, hands, and wrists. [5] Similar to multitarget tracking, pose estimation allows stores to keep track of customers providing information for the computer to determine which customer interacted with the store, like when a product is grabbed. [5]

Regions

United States

In 2016, Amazon announced the opening of its first cashierless store, Amazon Go, which opened in 2018. To shop, customers were required to have the Amazon app (formerly a specific Amazon Go app) so that they could be billed for their purchases afterward through their accounts. [6] Amazon introduced its cashierless technology in two Whole Foods stores located in Washington, D.C., and Sherman Oaks, California in 2022. [7]

In January 2021, the Hudson Group, a travel retailer, announced that it would be implementing Amazon's Just Walk Out technology in select airport convenience stores, branded as Hudson Nonstop. [8]

In June 2021, San Diego’s first fully automated and cashierless store, Valet Market, was opened to the public. [9] Valet market is powered by the technology company Accel Robotics which utilizes an advanced machine learning AI platform that optimizes efficiency in local markets. [10] There are three ways of shopping at Valet Store: Hub Store, Satellite Store, and Last Step Delivery. [11]

Cashierless stores have also been established in sporting and event arenas. In March 2021, Delaware North opened two cashierless MRKT convenience stores at TD Garden in Boston (only open during arena events). [12] With the opening of Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena in October 2021, four stores were equipped with Amazon's cashierless technology. [13] In April 2022, Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas became the first Major League Baseball stadium to incorporate cashierless stores, installing Amazon's technology at two of its concession stands. [14] Minor league Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts launched similar technology from startup Standard AI in April 2022. [15]

Asia

Japan introduced cashierless shopping to their country by implementing New Zealand start-up, Imagr’s, scalable autonomous checkout technology. However, Imagr’s technology in Japan is not fully cashierless. Customers have to go to a checkout operator to accommodate Japanese customers’ shopping behavior of paying with cash and having a cashier. [16] Cashierless stores can also be found at a subway station in Tokyo. In addition, other convenience store chains are implementing their cashierless stores. Stores like 7-Eleven and Lawson are working towards creating cashierless stores. [17]

In Singapore, the first cashierless convenience store named Cheers launched in 2017, where it saves 180 man hours per week through their autonomous format. [18] Cheers is the first convenience store that allows customers to pay with Nets by QR code. [19]

Europe

In 2019, Sainsbury's opened the first cashierless store in the United Kingdom. However, it closed a few months later due to customer dissatisfaction with the lack of additional payment options. [20] In September 2021, Aldi UK announced its first cashierless store in Greenwich. [21] In October 2021, Tesco introduced its cashierless store called the GetGo store in central London, following a small trial of a similar store at the Tesco head office in Welwyn Garden City. [22]

A Finnish company called Korttelikauppa opened a cashierless store in Helsinki in 2020, followed by six more stores in 2021 in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. Also in 2021, another Finnish convenience retailer, R-kioski, opened a cashierless store called R-kioski Go! in Helsinki. [23] [24]

In the Netherlands, Aldi Nord opened the first cashierless store in Utrecht as a 12-month trial in 2022. [25]

Middle East

In September 2021, French conglomerate Carrefour opened the first cashierless store in the Middle East called Carrefour City+, located in the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai. [26] [27]

In 2019, Israel opened their first cashierless store Nowpet, a cashierless pet shop, which uses the technology developed by startup Cyb-Org. [27] Cyb-Org’s sensor technology differentiates from Amazon Go’s implementation of computer vision by detecting the weight of the shelf whenever customers grab products. [28] Cyb-Org has also collaborated with Rami Levy, a popular grocery chain store in Israel, to implement cashierless technology of scanning fingerprints as a method of purchase, which costs much less compared to Amazon Go’s checkout mechanism on its shopping carts. [29]

Africa

South Africa’s first cashierless food store, Checkers, is in the process of testing a store without checkout counters, from the technology of Shoprite Holdings. [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convenience store</span> Small store that stocks a range of everyday items

A convenience store, bodega, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, fruits, vegetables, snacks, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery tickets, over-the-counter drugs, toiletries, newspapers and magazines. In some jurisdictions, convenience stores are licensed to sell alcoholic drinks, although many jurisdictions limit such beverages to those with relatively low alcohol content, like beer and wine. The stores may also offer money order and wire transfer services, along with the use of a fax machine or photocopier for a small per-copy cost. Some also sell tickets or recharge smart cards, e.g. OPUS cards in Montreal or include a small deli. They differ from general stores and village shops in that they are not in a rural location and are used as a convenient supplement to larger stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point of sale</span> Time and place where a retail transaction is completed

The point of sale (POS) or point of purchase (POP) is the time and place at which a retail transaction is completed. At the point of sale, the merchant calculates the amount owed by the customer, indicates that amount, may prepare an invoice for the customer, and indicates the options for the customer to make payment. It is also the point at which a customer makes a payment to the merchant in exchange for goods or after provision of a service. After receiving payment, the merchant may issue a receipt for the transaction, which is usually printed but can also be dispensed with or sent electronically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grocery store</span> Retail store that primarily sells food and other household supplies

A grocery store (AE), grocery shop (BE) or simply grocery is a foodservice retail store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, and is not used to refer to other types of stores that sell groceries. In the UK, shops that sell food are distinguished as grocers or grocery shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online shopping</span> Form of electronic commerce

Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the retailer directly or by searching among alternative vendors using a shopping search engine, which displays the same product's availability and pricing at different e-retailers. As of 2020, customers can shop online using a range of different computers and devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloom (store)</span>

Bloom was a chain of mid-grade American grocery stores operated by Food Lion established in 2004. The parent company of Food Lion, The Delhaize Group, announced in January 2012 that it was discontinuing the Bloom brand. Bloom's headquarters were in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Bagger, packer, sacker or bag boy (US) is an unofficial title given to a courtesy clerk at a grocery store.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-checkout</span> Machine for customers to complete a retail transaction

Self-checkouts (SCOs), also known as assisted checkouts (ACOs) or self-service checkouts, are machines that provide a mechanism for customers to complete their own transaction from a retailer without needing a traditional staffed checkout. When using SCOs, customers scan item barcodes before paying for their total shop without needing one-to-one staff assistance. Self-checkouts are used mainly in supermarkets, although they are not uncommon in department or convenience stores. Most self-checkout areas are supervised by at least one staff member, often assisting customers process transactions, correcting prices, or otherwise providing service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon Fresh</span> Grocery store chain and delivery service operated by Amazon.com

Amazon Fresh is a subsidiary of the American e-commerce company Amazon in Seattle, Washington. It is a grocery retailer with physical stores and delivery services in most major U.S. cities, as well as some international cities, such as Berlin, Hamburg, London, Milan, Munich, Rome, Tokyo, and some other locations in Singapore and India. In 2020, Amazon Fresh opened several physical stores in the United States and the United Kingdom. The first store opened in the Los Angeles area, followed by the Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and other areas.

A retail clerk, also known as a sales clerk, shop clerk, retail associate, or shop assistant or customer service assistant, is a service role in a retail business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Żabka (convenience store)</span> Chain of Polish shops

Żabka Polska is a chain of convenience stores in Poland. There are at least 9,000 manned and unmanned stores across Poland, including at least 500 in Warsaw and over 340 in the Tricity area, as of August 2023. Some Żabka stores are located in the Czech Republic, these are owned by the Czech branch of the UK retail giant Tesco plc. The retail turnover was about €650 million in 2010. As of 2022, Żabka has more than 15.5 million clients.

Mobile location analytics (MLA) is a type of customer intelligence and refers to technology for retailers, including developing aggregate reports used to reduce waiting times at checkouts, improving store layouts, and understanding consumer shopping patterns. The reports are generated by recognizing the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth addresses of cell phones as they interact with store networks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amazon Go</span> Convenience store chain operated by Amazon.com

Amazon Go is a chain of convenience stores in the United States and the United Kingdom, operated by the online retailer Amazon. The stores are cashierless, thus partially automated, with customers able to purchase products without being checked out by a cashier or using a self-checkout station. As of 2023, there are 43 open and announced store locations in Seattle, Chicago, London and New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automated convenience store</span>

An automated convenience store is a convenience store that operates without a cashier, and instead relies on computers and robotics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Amazon</span>

Amazon is an American multinational technology company which focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital streaming. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economic and cultural forces in the world", and is one of the world's most valuable brands.

Robomart is an American technology company and store-hailing platform headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The company has deployed automated stores on wheels that can be hailed to a customer's home. Instead of delivering products the company delivers the entire store which cuts out order and pickup times giving it advantages over delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unmanned store</span>

An unmanned store is a retail concept in which there are no service personnel and no cashiers in the store. The transactions are handled through a mobile application. Unlike an automated convenience store, the unmanned store concept relies on smartphone-related technologies and artificial intelligence to remove the traditional features of a store.

Steve Gu is an entrepreneur, computer vision scientist, author and the Co-founder and CEO of AiFi, an AI technology company providing autonomous store technology for retailers and brands, recognized as an Amazon Go rival by Fortune and CNBC. Gu has his PhD from Duke University in computer science, advised by Carlo Tomasi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caper AI</span>

Caper is a software technology company that develops and deploys AI-powered automated checkout devices as well as AI-based software applications for retailers, grocers, convenience stores and other general merchandising store formats. Caper AI was established in 2016 by Lindon Gao, York Yang, Yilin Huang and Ahmed Beshry. It is headquartered in Manhattan, NY.

Trigo is a computer vision technology company founded by Michael and Daniel Gabay in 2018. Trigo provides a cashierless shopping solution for grocery retailers to implement partially or fully automated stores, similar to Amazon Go, which also uses computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusion to track items shoppers pick up and put back, as well as their general movement throughout the store.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Schögel, Marcus (2020). "Cashierless Stores – the New Way to the Customer?" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ↑ "What is sensor fusion?: AI terms explained - AI For Anyone". www.aiforanyone.org. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  3. ↑ "What is Computer Vision? | IBM". www.ibm.com. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  4. 1 2 "What is Deep Learning? - Deep Learning Explained - AWS". Amazon Web Services, Inc. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Acuaviva Huertos, Arturo; Pérez Garbín, Inmaculada; Díaz-Agudo, Belén; Sánchez-Ruiz, Antonio (2021). "Explanations on Smart Stores" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ Machkovech, Sam (2016-12-05). "Trying, and failing, to sneak into Amazon's Skynet take on grocery shopping". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  7. ↑ Meyersohn, Nathaniel (2021-09-08). "Amazon will open two cashier-less Whole Foods stores next year | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  8. ↑ "Hudson Advances Digital Growth Strategy with Plans to Open Stores Using Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology | Hudson". www.hudsongroup.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  9. ↑ San Diego's first fully automated and cashier-less store opens to the public , retrieved 2023-04-06
  10. ↑ "Accel Robotics". www.accelrobotics.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  11. ↑ "Valet Market | An Autonomous Grocery + Convenience Store". www.valetmarket.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  12. ↑ Garden, T. D. "MRKT powered by Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology | TD Garden". www.tdgarden.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  13. ↑ "Amazon to offer frictionless shopping, palm-based payment at new arena". Chain Store Age. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  14. ↑ "Houston Astros' stadium will be the first in MLB to use Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' tech". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  15. ↑ Kohli, Diti (April 20, 2022). "No cash, no cashier: AI-powered checkout debuts at Fenway Park". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  16. ↑ Lung, Tiffany. "Japan's Checkout-Free Grocery Store Is Giving Amazon A Run For Its Money". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  17. ↑ "The first cashierless store in Japan | Japan Experience". www.japan-experience.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  18. ↑ "Convenience store Cheers opens first unmanned, cashless outlet | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  19. ↑ "Nets: digital payments and services | Nexi". www.nexigroup.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  20. ↑ Stevens, Ben (2019-09-06). "Sainsbury's scraps UK's first cashierless grocery store admitting "not all our customers are ready" - Latest Retail Technology News From Across The Globe - Charged" . Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  21. ↑ Stevens, Ben (2021-09-27). "Aldi confirms Greenwich as the location for its first checkout-free store - Latest Retail Technology News From Across The Globe - Charged" . Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  22. ↑ Butler, Sarah (2021-10-19). "Tesco takes on Amazon Fresh with launch of 'just walk out' store". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  23. ↑ "R-kioski avaa ensimmäisen miehittämättömän kioskin Helsingin Viikkiin / R-kioski". R-Kioski (in Finnish). Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  24. ↑ "Finland's R-kioski Opens Cashierless Store In Helsinki". ESM Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  25. ↑ Stevens, Ben (2021-10-04). "Aldi to open first checkout-free store to the public in The Netherlands - Latest Retail Technology News From Across The Globe - Charged" . Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  26. ↑ Rodrigues, Janice (2021-09-06). "Carrefour City+: Middle East's first cashier-less store launches in Dubai". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  27. 1 2 3 Santosdiaz, Richie (2021-10-02). "Piloting Cashier-less Stores in the Middle East and Africa: Dubai, Cape Town and Tel Aviv". The Fintech Times. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  28. ↑ "Israel's First Cashier-less Store Debuting in Tel Aviv". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
  29. ↑ "Cashier-less grocery shopping coming to Israel". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
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