Standard Cognition aims to be big in Japan

US-based autonomous checkout system startup, Standard Cognition, has opened an office in Tokyo, Japan and signed Paltac Corporation, a wholesaler of FMCG products and OTC drugs, as its first customer in the country.

Paltac is also the first customer that Standard has publicly named, although it says that it is installing systems for multiple retailers around the world, including in the US.

“In Japan, retailers considering autonomous checkout have really only had RFID or scan-and-go type options,” says Yohei Nishiyama, who is heading up the Tokyo office.“Both are rather old fashioned. Standard’s approach is very different – it has a much lighter footprint, it’s easier for shoppers, and it provides a lot of data to retailers without compromising shoppers’ privacy. Standard’s solution been very well received by Japanese retailers.”

Michael Suswal, Co-founder and COO of Standard, adds that Japan represents an enormous and growing market for autonomous checkout, boasting, as it does, the world’s second largest retail sector, with annual sales exceeding US $1.3 trillion.

“In many ways, Japan’s retail technology is ahead of the US, but their options for autonomous checkout were not appealing,” he comments. “When we show them what Standard can do with very little hardware and no scanning at all, they are generally blown away. We’re really excited to get started with Paltac to revolutionise the future of retail.”