The AI-powered sensor and camera-based technology at the IKI Express 24/7 contactless store on Vilnius’ White Bridge enables customers to shop with a few taps
Image: pixabay
Lithuanian supermarket network IKI has opened its second manless store in the national capital Vilnius. The AI-enabled store technology requires minimum efforts from the clients.
Recently opened contactless IKI Express convenience store on Vilnius’ White Bridge is open 24/7, as it doesn’t require human operators to serve customers. Customers should check in at the entrance by tapping their payment card, mobile wallet or retailer’s app. Next, they select the products they want and proceed to the checkout payment stage without needing to scan their purchases. The payment is finalized with another tap of a payment card.
Moreover, customers can even warm up the chosen products, eat them at a dedicated food counter and pay for the eaten lunch along with other items when leaving the store. Shoppers can put all their goods immediately into their own bags, there is even no need to carry a conventional basket, as all items taken off the shelves are immediately registered by the supporting AI system.
Such a seamless shopping technology is provided by Pixevia. The data from shelf sensors and camera video streams in the store go directly to Pixevia’s AI platform. It automatically determines what each customer has selected and presents the entire list of chosen items to customers in real-time, eliminating the need for additional checkout scanning. The shopper also gets the receipt instantly.
For the store personnel, the AI-powered sensor and camera-based technology provides alerts about the item’s scarcity, helping them to restock the inventory on time. The Pixevia platform supports the full range of IKI Express 24/7 convenience products. That includes bakery, coffee machine, slush drinks, refrigerated food, ice cream, hygiene products, beer, wine, energy drinks and tobacco products.
The store opening comes after the successful pilot programme. The supermarket chain is also planning to open another four contactless retail outlets by the end of the year.
Contactless self-service shops are not yet mainstream but are becoming increasingly popular. In March, fintech provider Transact Campus integrated its payment solutions with Just Walk Out technology by Amazon to deploy self-service stores on and off college campuses.
