Amazon's checkout-free grocery store, Amazon Go, has made a big impact in the retail space, but the Chinese startup BingoBox is hoping to bring a similar retail experience to customers at a far larger scale. BingoBox offers a truly automated shopping trip, with retail location that operate without any on-site staff whatsoever.
As with Amazon Go, BingoBox is a convenience store offering the daily necessities that people often need to pick up on short notice. The locations currently offer over 8,000 SKUs, from fresh packaged produce to hygiene supplies and much more. What separates it from other convenience stores is that there are neither cashiers nor clerks in the store; to enter, shoppers need to use the BingoBox app to verify themselves, and then they simply take items off the shelves and scan them to pay.
Since the stores are about the size of shipping containers, they're far easier to install around cities than the relatively large Amazon Go retailers (of which there is currently only one in operation).
Tiny Staff-Free Convenience Stores
BingoBox is a Chinese Startup Competing with Amazon Go
Trend Themes
1. Automated Convenience Stores - There is an opportunity for businesses to develop automated convenience stores that offer quick, easy access to daily necessities with minimal staffing requirements.
2. Mobile Verification Technology - The development and implementation of mobile verification technology can make it easier for shoppers to check themselves into automated stores and streamline the shopping experience.
3. Compact Retail Spaces - Creating compact retail spaces, such as shipping-container sized stores, offers more flexibility for retailers to set up shop in a variety of locations.
Industry Implications
1. Retail Industry - The retail industry has the opportunity to innovate and create new, automated shopping experiences that can attract customers and potentially reduce staffing costs.
2. Technology Industry - The technology industry can develop and implement mobile verification systems to facilitate the use of automated stores and improve the overall shopping experience.
3. Real Estate Industry - The real estate industry can explore the use of compact, modular retail spaces as a way to fill vacant spaces and cater to a growing demand for convenience.