Retail technology innovation of the week: Żabka Polska opens hybrid autonomous store powered by AiFi
Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a new series brought to you by RTIH and sponsored by 3D Cloud by Marxent, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.
Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, in the run up to the publication of the 2024 report early next year.
So far, we’ve showcased work being done by Ocado Retail, Decathlon, Lacoste, Downtown Spirits, TalkShopLive, Huck’s, Rovertown, Wing, McDonald’s, Nobody’s Child, IKI, Pixevia, Walmart, A.L.C., Archive, Therabody, Outform, Kingfisher, and PMC.
And this week, we’re focusing on Żabka Polska which has launched its first ever store that is open 24/7 and offers both a traditional and autonomous shopping option.
In a LinkedIn post, Patryk Powierża, Head of Nano Growth at Żabka Polska, said: “We have opened the first hybrid Żabka store powered by autonomous technology (supplied by AiFi). How does it work?”
“From 6am-11pm, the store operates like a traditional store with a cashier. From 11pm-6am, it is switched to an unmanned format, which enables autonomous shopping.”
He added: “Thanks to that we can extend opening hours, be available 24/7, and deliver a great retail experience to Polish customers.”
“This opening is related to a great milestone that our company has achieved. Last Friday, we opened store 10,000 in the Żabka Polska network. Our hybrid store has a beautiful 10,002 number. The future is here.”
TO BOLDLY GO WHERE TRADITIONAL RETAIL STORES CAN’T GO
Last month, Żabka Polska announced new autonomous stores, also powered by AiFi technology, at the campus of Medical University of Warsaw, the campus of Warsaw University for Life Sciences, and student dormitories at Basecamp Student.
Powierża commented: “We truly believe that autonomous stores can bring more convenience to the lives of our customers.”
“Thanks to this autonomous technology we can open our store in locations where traditional stores can’t appear.”
Glenn Faulkner, Solutions Architect at AiFi, said: “Żabka continues to showcase the flexibility and innovation that can be achieved with autonomous stores. Making sure to meet the customer where they are and when they need it.”
Continue reading…