REWE Group launches REWE Ready ‘smart shop’ at EV charging station, powered by Reckon.ai tech

REWE Group has launched a REWE Ready ‘smart shop’ at the EnBW Hypernetz EV Charging Hub in Lichtenau/Chemnitz, Germany.

Customers can buy Rewe and Go sandwiches, wraps, salads, get a beer, buy cigarettes, and enjoy a cappuccino while they are charging their cars.

In a LinkedIn post, Mehmet Tözge, Director Smart Store Development at Lekkerland SE, said: “Lekkerland SE customer preferences have changed. End consumers want to shop 24/7, fast and with as few contacts as possible.”

The store includes smart fridges from Reckon.ai.

Shoppers scan their card, open the door, take their products, close the door and leave within 30 seconds.

Tözge said: “The combination of computer vision cameras with sensor fusion enables us to offer end consumers a unique, reliable and seamless way of shopping. The time to market and the ease of implementation: smart fridges are plug and play devices. Going live is a matter of seconds.”

He added: “New products are added within a couple of minutes. All temperature zones are possible. Shopping by Tap&Go or by mobile Application and much more.”

Ana Pinto, CEOat Reckon.ai. commented: “This is our first shop at an EV charging station powered by our AI smart cabinets, creating a fully autonomous shopping experience. The future is now.”

Carrefour Belgium

At the tail end of last year, Carrefour Belgium opened its smallest store in Belgium, measuring just 18 sqm.

BuyBye by Carrefour is located at the retailer’s Belgian headquarters in Zaventem (near Brussels).

The autonomous store consists of a series of refrigerated vending machines where customers can purchase lunch, snacks, cold drinks and fruit.

Shoppers need to download the Carrefour BuyBye app, create an account and add a payment method before they can use the app to open the machines, take out products and check-out.

Initially, this will be open Monday to Friday from 7am to 10pm to start with, but from January it will be available seven days a week.

It is the result of a collaboration with startup Reckon.ai, which specialises in micro-stores equipped with artificial intelligence.

In a LinkedIn post, Reckon.ai said: “Picture this: aisles guided by AI, curated sections tailored to your needs, and an immersive shopping experience like never before. This store isn't just a place to shop; it's a destination where innovation meets your everyday needs.”

Plans are afoot to roll-out the concept to Carrefour Belgium’s existing physical stores.