A store without cashiers and security - it works. Swedish self catering
Welcome to the iCover Blog Pages ! The first mini-market has opened in Sweden, for the purchase of which a mobile phone is enough, registration on the website and installation of a specialized application.
IT entrepreneur Robert Elijason does not believe in random coincidences. And it is no accident, in his deep conviction, the idea of opening a mini-market without service personnel appeared. And the entrepreneurial Swede was inspired by a case from his own life, which made him go out for baby food in the middle of the night with a baby in the back seat of the car. Then, scattering the only can in the house on the floor, Robert realized that he could only buy a new one in the nearest town, located half an hour away.
The misadventures when searching for an open market with a suitable assortment with a young child in their arms, according to Robert, 39, were worthy of becoming part of an action-packed thriller. One way or another, he came to a simple but important conclusion: in many of the provincial towns of Sweden and tiny villages, mini-markets available for visiting 24 hours a day would be very appropriate. It would seem, what is the novelty of the plot itself? And the fact that the presence of attendants - cashiers, security guards and on-duty administrators in the mini-markets of Robert Elijason is not assumed by definition.
The idea has already begun to come true and since January of this year, Robert successfully tested it in a small 24-hour mini-market without a cashier and cash register. The entire customer service process is reduced to the receipt of goods and its distribution by departments and shelves. Otherwise, visitors are completely left to their own devices.
In the store, an area of only 45 square meters. There are 6 surveillance cameras installed that scan the entire trading area. In case of attempts to break in or open the front door for too long (over 8 seconds), Elijayson will receive an SMS notification on his mobile. But, he smiles, there has not been a single similar case since the opening of the store.
Certain problems, the entrepreneur admits, are observed at the stage of training to use the technology itself. Despite the fact that there is nothing complicated for a person here at all, some older people may not immediately appreciate the benefits of buying through the application. The more mobile and progressive part of the population, on the contrary, accepted the idea immediately and with pleasure: in a couple of minutes you can load a bag with everything you need, while not wasting time standing in line at the cash register and not denying yourself a purchase when there are not enough funds on the card or on your hands.
The assortment on the shelves of the store is not very diverse. The most necessary products were selected - bread, milk, sugar, canned goods, diapers, etc. Tobacco, medical preparations and alcohol are absent. Most buyers are very comfortable that the payment for goods and products is carried out on the invoice sent at the end of the month.
To access the service, Robert's customers will need to go through the registration procedure on the site, and then download and install the mobile application on their phone. Door opening is carried out by scanning a fingerprint on a smartphone, after which the application gives a command to unlock the lock. Purchases are also scanned by a smartphone and entered into the customer’s database, after which they are reflected in the invoice for payment once a month.
A number of psychological problems that arise in the elderly residents of Wicken, where Elijayson lives, when using the application made the entrepreneur think about alternative ways of access. Currently, he is considering how to completely abandon the customer identification procedure using fingerprint scanning (not every smartphone has a fingerprint scanner installed), having organized access to the store upon reading the credit card magnetic strip, as is the case in several banking institutions.
The simplicity and “comfort” of the idea, the first results obtained during the testing phase of the “self-service store” inspired Robert so much that he seriously thought about creating a network of such stores scattered in small Swedish towns and villages. As a measure of popularizing the service and for organizing assistance to customers far from the world of innovative technologies, Elijayson admits the possibility of the presence of one consultant in the store, who can spend no more than a couple of hours a day for this purpose.
“My aspiration is to spread this idea to other villages and small towns,” Elijayson shares. “It is very strange that no one had guessed this before.” Due to the savings associated with the lack of the need to maintain staff, it will be much easier to open and maintain the activities of 24-hour convenience stores in rural and provincial regions.
phys.org
Robert Elijason’s idea looks very attractive, given where he implements it). At the same time, it is difficult to disagree that it is nevertheless necessary to incur certain costs in connection with the transition to a new service format.
Dear readers, we are always happy to meet and wait for you on the pages of our blog. We are ready to continue to share with you the latest news, review materials and other publications, and will try to do our best to make the time spent with us useful for you. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to our columns . Our other articles and events
IT entrepreneur Robert Elijason does not believe in random coincidences. And it is no accident, in his deep conviction, the idea of opening a mini-market without service personnel appeared. And the entrepreneurial Swede was inspired by a case from his own life, which made him go out for baby food in the middle of the night with a baby in the back seat of the car. Then, scattering the only can in the house on the floor, Robert realized that he could only buy a new one in the nearest town, located half an hour away.
The misadventures when searching for an open market with a suitable assortment with a young child in their arms, according to Robert, 39, were worthy of becoming part of an action-packed thriller. One way or another, he came to a simple but important conclusion: in many of the provincial towns of Sweden and tiny villages, mini-markets available for visiting 24 hours a day would be very appropriate. It would seem, what is the novelty of the plot itself? And the fact that the presence of attendants - cashiers, security guards and on-duty administrators in the mini-markets of Robert Elijason is not assumed by definition.
Swedish self catering
The idea has already begun to come true and since January of this year, Robert successfully tested it in a small 24-hour mini-market without a cashier and cash register. The entire customer service process is reduced to the receipt of goods and its distribution by departments and shelves. Otherwise, visitors are completely left to their own devices.
In the store, an area of only 45 square meters. There are 6 surveillance cameras installed that scan the entire trading area. In case of attempts to break in or open the front door for too long (over 8 seconds), Elijayson will receive an SMS notification on his mobile. But, he smiles, there has not been a single similar case since the opening of the store.
Certain problems, the entrepreneur admits, are observed at the stage of training to use the technology itself. Despite the fact that there is nothing complicated for a person here at all, some older people may not immediately appreciate the benefits of buying through the application. The more mobile and progressive part of the population, on the contrary, accepted the idea immediately and with pleasure: in a couple of minutes you can load a bag with everything you need, while not wasting time standing in line at the cash register and not denying yourself a purchase when there are not enough funds on the card or on your hands.
How it works
The assortment on the shelves of the store is not very diverse. The most necessary products were selected - bread, milk, sugar, canned goods, diapers, etc. Tobacco, medical preparations and alcohol are absent. Most buyers are very comfortable that the payment for goods and products is carried out on the invoice sent at the end of the month.
To access the service, Robert's customers will need to go through the registration procedure on the site, and then download and install the mobile application on their phone. Door opening is carried out by scanning a fingerprint on a smartphone, after which the application gives a command to unlock the lock. Purchases are also scanned by a smartphone and entered into the customer’s database, after which they are reflected in the invoice for payment once a month.
A number of psychological problems that arise in the elderly residents of Wicken, where Elijayson lives, when using the application made the entrepreneur think about alternative ways of access. Currently, he is considering how to completely abandon the customer identification procedure using fingerprint scanning (not every smartphone has a fingerprint scanner installed), having organized access to the store upon reading the credit card magnetic strip, as is the case in several banking institutions.
The simplicity and “comfort” of the idea, the first results obtained during the testing phase of the “self-service store” inspired Robert so much that he seriously thought about creating a network of such stores scattered in small Swedish towns and villages. As a measure of popularizing the service and for organizing assistance to customers far from the world of innovative technologies, Elijayson admits the possibility of the presence of one consultant in the store, who can spend no more than a couple of hours a day for this purpose.
“My aspiration is to spread this idea to other villages and small towns,” Elijayson shares. “It is very strange that no one had guessed this before.” Due to the savings associated with the lack of the need to maintain staff, it will be much easier to open and maintain the activities of 24-hour convenience stores in rural and provincial regions.
phys.org
Robert Elijason’s idea looks very attractive, given where he implements it). At the same time, it is difficult to disagree that it is nevertheless necessary to incur certain costs in connection with the transition to a new service format.
Dear readers, we are always happy to meet and wait for you on the pages of our blog. We are ready to continue to share with you the latest news, review materials and other publications, and will try to do our best to make the time spent with us useful for you. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to our columns . Our other articles and events