Denen Plaza Kawaba is a bakery that's located on a highway rest stop in Japan that boasts a smart POS system that significantly speeds up the checkout process.
The bakery has implemented a technology called 'Bakery Scan' from Tokyo-based company Brain, which boasts a bread recognition system for different types of items such as tarts, buns and other baked goods. Because individual bakery items are not packaged with barcodes, this calls for each baked good to be scanned individually. The Bakery Scan system offers a quick solution to this problem, as shoppers are able to place the items they want to purchase on a white platform for the system to identify and ring up within a matter of moments.
While these kinds of systems would not be usable in all types of retail environments, they would be advantageous in smaller shops where inventory is limited and easily differentiated.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Image Recognition Technology
- Implementing image recognition technology in checkout systems can significantly speed up the checkout process for retailers.
- Automated Point-of-sale Systems
- Automated POS systems, like Bakery Scan, can streamline the checkout process by quickly identifying and ringing up items without the need for barcodes.
- Enhanced Customer Experience
- Using innovative technologies like Bakery Scan can enhance the overall shopping experience for customers by reducing waiting times at the checkout counter.
Where This Applies
- Retail Technology
- Implementing image recognition technology in checkout systems has disruptive innovation opportunities for the retail technology industry, enabling faster and more efficient checkouts.
- Bakery Industry
- The bakery industry can benefit from automated POS systems that utilize bread recognition scanners, allowing for faster checkout processes and improved customer satisfaction.
- Small Retail Shops
- Automated POS systems like Bakery Scan can be a disruptive innovation for small retail shops with limited inventory, providing a quick and efficient solution for identifying and pricing items without barcodes.
