Wundermart, which develops unmanned, data-driven retail markets, collaborates with AiFi, a provider of AI computer vision technology, on a Europe-based autonomous convenience store initiative. According to a press release, the deployment will cover 20 locations in the first quarter of 2021.
To boost the customer experience, reduce friction at checkout, optimise inventory management and offer in-depth consumer insights, Wundermart will incorporate AiFi’s computer vision technology into existing stores.
Computer vision technology will also be introduced in Wunderware, an autonomous retail plug and play SaaS kit. Wundermart and Wunderware expect to open over 1,000 locations fitted with AiFi technology soon.
In a statement, co-founder and CEO of AiFi, Steve Gu, said the pandemic has changed the way consumers shop and required innovation. Its computer vision technology will enhance Wundermart’s convenient in-store experience and enables shoppers to shop safely and efficiently.
The camera-only solution offered by AiFi offers top industry standards in product identification, shopper monitoring, and receipt accuracy. Wundermart will introduce OASIS from AiFi to monitor suppliers’ automated shop replenishments, which will increase efficiency and data integrity. AiFi’s OASIS is qualified to identify with pinpoint accuracy tens of thousands of SKUs, including shelved items of any size and wet, frozen, or fresh food, as well as dispensed drinks and more.
Currently, at the self-checkout kiosk, Wundermart customers enter a shop, grab things, scan each item, and make payments. If the autonomous shopping model of AiFi is implemented in the shops, consumers may opt to scan their retail app or credit card before or after grabbing their preferred items at the kiosk. Without checking each item, customers can then walk out of the store, as AiFi’s computer vision technology enables a more effective and frictionless shopping experience.
“AiFi’s technology helps us create a delightful, convenient and safe shopping experience for our shoppers. They can simply scan in, select what items they want to purchase and walk out,” Laurens de Kleine, co-founder of Wundermart.
“The system will also be used to improve accuracy of automated restocking, one of the many functions in our total solution for autonomous retail. AiFi has pioneered and become the global leader in computer vision technology. This partnership will bring us closer to our mission to transform the future of retail.”
To boost the store’s supply and efficiency, Wundermart can also use computer vision to gain deeper customer behaviour insights. Inside each shop, this information is stored, and AiFi’s technology does not use facial recognition or collect biometric data, maintaining the highest degree of customer privacy.
Wundermart’s shops are situated in hotels, offices and transport hubs and range from 50 to 200 square feet. Later this year, AiFi and Wundermart expect to announce further store implementations.
