A new 24/7 shopping experience on our doorsteps Fully automated micro-markets could deliver faster and safer shopping experiences close to where we live and work using a new ‘grab-and-go’ store concept. Digital Economy © Prostock-studio/stock.adobe.com Need some groceries for dinner before heading home from work? A quick duty-free gift purchase before boarding your flight? Or are you looking to buy local specialties with a small carbon footprint? New kinds of shops could soon enable you to get such chores done more quickly and easily than ever before. The EU-funded MiMEX project has developed a novel system that enables retailers to get closer to their customers. It helps them to easily create micro-markets offering smooth shopping experiences with a minimum of retail staff using cutting-edge technology. “Through sensors and cameras, the technology at the core of MiMEX can detect the customer’s movement inside the point of sale,” explains Cristiano Carlevaro, MiMEX project coordinator and managing director of Spindox Labs, the host company. Hassle-free shopping without waiting lines What do these micro-markets look like, and how do they work in practice? Imagine a shop of 30-80 m2, composed of one or more containers fitted with shelves and packed with smart technology. Before entering the store, the customer identifies him or herself in the check-in area using the dedicated app. Inside the shopping area, they select products from the shelves as they would in any other self-service shop. Selected products are automatically added to their digital shopping cart using AI-powered sensors and cameras. In the checkout area, the payment is processed digitally through the app without the need for a cashier. The automatic system enables not only quick and easy shopping, but also better management of stocks (thanks to the shelves’ sensors), protection against shoplifting (through shopper identification) and automated optimisation of aspects such as lighting, heating and cooling. The concept has benefits in contexts where proximity is important, Carlevaro adds: “The small MiMEX container can be nimbly placed in locations with a higher concentration of people as these change over time: this makes it possible to reach customers wherever they are, at any time of day or night.” They can for instance be used as pop-up stores for testing new concepts, to offer local produce, for duty-free shopping in airports, or placed along commuters’ daily trips. A safe shopping experience One of the key benefits of the system is the possibility of providing a completely safe shopping experience in health crises such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The system enables automated checks of health measures such as social distancing, mask-wearing or hand-cleaning. The collected data is handled in line with privacy requirements, Carlevaro says: “All data is managed in compliance with the GDPR and appropriate storage and anonymisation techniques. As for any other service, users are requested to accept the terms of service and are informed on the usage of their data.” Market deployment in sight The MiMEX project has resulted in the creation of testbed stores on the campus of Malaga University, Spain, on the premises of the Bruno Kessler Foundation in Trento, Italy, and in the shopping mall inside Trump Towers in Istanbul, Turkey. The latter two are still in operation and close to market deployment. “Users were impressed with the system and provided us with their feedback for further improvement. The pilots also enabled us to show the system to potential customers in the retail sector,” Carlevaro notes. “With some of them, discussions on potential business collaborations are under way.” Keywords MiMEX, store concept, micro-market, AI-powered sensors, automatic system, COVID-19
