# Unstaffed Automated Stores Suning's Self-Service Stores Show Off Smart Retail Innovations By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-11-13 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/suning References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/suning-to-open-four-new-unmanned-stores-in-china-300553764.html) & [suningholdings](http://www.suningholdings.com/cms/en/index.htm) Just ahead of its 11/11 Shopping Festival, Suning announced that it will be opening four new [unstaffed, automated stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/venhub) in China. The first self-service store Suning Sports Biu was launched this summer in August. Recently, Suning opened a second store in Shanghai and it is set to continue its expansion with more retail destinations in Beijing, Chongqing and Xuzhou that explore a greater variety of categories. Some of the forward-thinking smart retail innovations that can be found in the automated stores include [facial recognition tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/instore-retail-solutions) that's connected to the Suning Finance app, "[payment pathways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sams-club-4)" that automatically recognize items that are leaving the store with RFID technology and surveillance cameras that use algorithms to draw insights from the flow of customers. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.9/10 - Popularity: 78% | Activity: 91% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Unstaffed Automated Stores:** Opportunity for disruptive innovation in retail through the implementation of unstaffed automated stores. - **Smart Retail Innovations:** Innovative technologies like facial recognition, RFID technology, and surveillance cameras present disruptive possibilities in the retail industry. - **Facial Recognition Tech:** The use of facial recognition technology in self-service stores creates disruptive opportunities in the retail sector. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Retail:** The retail industry has the potential to be transformed by the growth of unstaffed automated stores and smart retail innovations. - **Technology:** Advancements in facial recognition technology, RFID technology, and surveillance cameras offer disruptive innovation opportunities in the technology industry. - **Finance:** The integration of facial recognition tech with Suning Finance app enables disruptive innovation in the finance industry through secure and convenient payment pathways. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Based Convenience Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-convenience-store.md) - [Automated Retail Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/muffato.md) - [Unstaffed Convenience Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wundermart.md) - [Record-Breaking Autonomous Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-supermarket.md) - [Employee-Free Smart Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/teo-smart-stores.md) - [AI-Driven Convenience Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-convenience-stores.md) - [Grab-and-Go Employee-Free Retailers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lotus-pick-and-go.md) - [AI-Powered Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/autonomous-grocery-store.md) - [Cashier-Free Grocery Chains](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aisle-24.md)