fter Amazon‘s big push into the retail market with the Amazon Go convenience stores, several other retailers are testing new technology in their stores. 7-Eleven is the latest retailer to test the concept of a cashier-less store.
“ULTIMATELY, OUR GOAL IS TO EXCEED CONSUMER’S EXPECTATIONS FOR FASTER, EASIER TRANSACTIONS AND A SEAMLESS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE”.Mani Suri, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at 7-Eleven.
A Cashier Free Future for 7-Eleven
Recently, 7-Eleven launched its pilot cashier-less 700-square-foot store. The store is located at the headquarters in Irving, Texas. The test store stocks beverages, groceries, over-the-counter drugs, snacks, foods, and non-food items. While these are 7-Eleven’s most popular products, the mix might be altered over the course of the testing period. Also, the pilot store includes a mobile app for customers to check the store and pay for their purchases. They can also see their receipts for purchases.
7-Eleven released a statement through its chief information officer and senior vice president — Mani Suri. According to Suri, the goal of its cashier-less technology is to provide a more efficient delivery for the customers. The retail brand intends to do this by providing faster and easier transactions.
Interestingly, the company believes that the best way to test out the technology is with its employees. This way, they are sure of getting the most honest feedback. Candid feedback enables the brand to learn quickly. Also, they can improve the experience by making adjustments before a public launch.
Ultimately, the retail store is testing the new system for both current and future customers. With Amazon Go directly competing in the retail space, stores like 7-Eleven have had to creatively up their game.
Before now, 7-Eleven had taken measures to adapt to the changing needs of consumers. It did this by using the mobile checkout and on-demand delivery services but has now graduated to AI technology. Other stores like Walmart and Giant Eagle have also begun to test with AI systems.
Although the company did not provide details of the proprietary technology it is using in the pilot program, cashier-less stores run the same tech. A combination of top-notch sensors, artificial intelligence and cameras is the go-to retail store technology.
With 70,000 stores in 17 countries, 7-Eleven is a world-renowned retailer that is committed to improving as new technology emerges. Senior Vice-President Suri attests:
“WE CONTINUE TO INNOVATE, AND COUPLING FRESH, INNOVATIVE, HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS WITH A FRICTIONLESS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER.”
Mani Suri, Senior Vice-President and Chief Information Officer of 7-Eleven
