With Shanghai already hosting staff-free convenience stores, the Chinese capital city of Beijing is following suit with the new 'Xiaomai' store. The CPG retailer in the YOU+ youth community center in the neighborhood of Suzhouqiao is entirely self-serve, without any live staff on site throughout the vast majority of operational hours.
In order to unlock the door and gain access to a Xiaomai store, consumers must register their social media profiles and scan their faces — this process ensures accountability and prevents theft. Once inside, shoppers can simply gather what they need from the thousands of available products and scan those products QR codes with their smartphones to put it into their virtual cart. Consumers can then make the purchase through their Alipay or WeChat accounts and exit with their goods.
Autonomous Convenience Stores
An Unstaffed 'Xiaomai' CPG Store Has Opened in Beijing
Trend Themes
1. Autonomous Convenience Stores - Self-serve, unstaffed convenience stores are becoming more prevalent in China, creating opportunities for companies to develop technology-based solutions to enhance the customer shopping experience.
2. Social Media Integration - Integrating social media profiles into the registration process of unmanned stores presents an opportunity to create personalized shopping experiences based on consumer data.
3. Mobile Payment Solutions - The prevalent use of mobile payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat in unstaffed stores presents an opportunity for companies to develop innovative solutions that enhance mobile payment functionality and security.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - The rise of unmanned stores in China calls for retailers to develop and implement innovative technology-based solutions that enhance customer experiences while eliminating the need for physical staff.
2. Mobile Payment - The integration of mobile payments in unmanned stores creates opportunities for companies to develop and refine mobile payment solutions to enhance functionality, security, and convenience.
3. AI and Facial Recognition Technology - The widespread use of AI and facial recognition technology in China's autonomous convenience stores presents opportunities for companies to develop and implement innovative technology solutions that improve the customer shopping experience and security measures.