[JOB Trend] Korean unmanned store startups, types

 

*Photo_Korea Seven

Let’s learn about cashierless stores.

*Source_Tistory by Piyak, an easy way to teach

#concept

Cashierless stores are literally stores without cashiers. In these stores, customers select products on their own without traditional cashiers, and payments are processed automatically. The latest technologies, such as computer vision, sensors, IoT technology, and artificial intelligence, are mainly utilized, so customers access the app, scan, and place items in their carts. You can experience convenient and fast shopping by automatically calculating the amount you put in it.

#Related technology

Computer vision technology that identifies and tracks products using cameras and sensors
Artificial intelligence (AI) used to learn customer behavior and automate product recommendations and payment processes.
Sensor technology that detects customer movements and product locations using sensors in unmanned stores to help with accurate payments
IoT technology that helps all devices in an unmanned store connect to the Internet to exchange information and interact
QR code and barcode scanning technology that recognizes products through the app and is used for payment and inventory management
Automatic payment system where payment is made automatically after customers select a product
A smart cart that automatically recognizes products and pays for them, providing a convenient shopping experience.
Cloud computing is used to store and process data and efficiently manages various unmanned stores.
RFID technology that identifies products and manages inventory through tags attached to products
Automatic door opening system that automatically opens the door when a customer approaches an unmanned store

#Advantages

A convenient shopping experience as customers can select products and pay on their own without waiting for a cashier.
Unmanned stores reduce cashier costs, and automated payment systems save time and operating costs.
Since there is no cashier, manpower can be reduced, reducing employment costs.
Accurate inventory management in real time using sensor technology and artificial intelligence
Helps management by analyzing data generated from unmanned stores to understand customer behavior and preferences

#disadvantage

The latest technology required to build and operate unmanned stores is expensive, and there are technical limitations that ensure system stability.
There are still many technical challenges and immaturity, so malfunctions or defects may occur.
Difficult to apply and implement in large-scale stores or stores with complex product composition
In unmanned stores, there is no direct interaction, resulting in a lack of human interaction between customers.
Data security issues due to personal information protection issues arising when personal information provided in unmanned stores is leaked.

BEST 6 unmanned convenience stores around the world that no longer require convenience store part-time jobs

*Source_Red Friday

The origin of unmanned stores without clerks or cash registers is ‘Amazon Go’ from the American retail giant ‘Amazon’. In 2016, Amazon introduced the world's first unmanned store at Day One, the Amazon headquarters building in Seattle, USA. Amazon used artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, and image analysis technology to create a standard for unmanned stores where payment is made automatically when you enter the store with your smartphone and leave with the items. It is called ‘Just Walk Out’, meaning that you can just pick it up and go.

Most of the companies leading the overseas unmanned store market are internet shopping companies. There is a reason for this. ‘Sloan Management Review’ of MIT Graduate School of Business in the US said, “Amazon, which focuses on online stores, has more information than anyone else about how customers use the Internet and make purchases, but it lacks data on the offline shopping market.” “Amazon Go is being used to complement this,” he analyzed. While conducting a distribution business through offline, unmanned stores, they are also finding out how to attract shoppers who are accustomed to offline to online.

*Photo_Tea Times

Cutting-edge technology, but the results are bleak... AI store 'Amazon Go' rumored to be withdrawn

*Source_JoongAng Ilbo

  Amazon has successively introduced the supermarket Amazon Fresh, an extension of Amazon Go, predicting that it will be reborn as a complete unmanned store with fruits, vegetables, and even meat. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO at the time, was confident that “we will open 2,000 stores in the U.S. alone by 2020.” At that time, Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company, was creating unmanned supermarkets using new technology with the goal of opening 5,000 stores, and Korea was no exception. Literally, ‘unmanned stores’ were sweeping the world.

But this year was different. The Amazon Fresh Seattle store near Amazon headquarters that I visited this time looked rather empty and empty. The most notable change is that the cameras installed closely for each product type have disappeared. Instead, cameras that recognize a wide area have been expanded to the ceiling. Between the stands, there is a search bar equipped with Amazon's AI platform, Alexa, where you can check product prices or inquire about services.

What is unique is that there is a manned checkout counter. The customer service center in charge of returns and exchanges has also been assigned an unprecedented workforce. It looks no different from any other large supermarket in Korea.

A huge amount of money is being spent on developing and applying technology, but this is not the end. No matter how excellent the technology is, people have no choice but to intervene in the end. Amazon Go aimed to be 100% unmanned, but in the end, it is humans who monitor the cameras. In addition to technology development and updates, the cost of surveillance personnel has tripled. While Amazon focused excessively on technology, securing customer shopping experience and price competitiveness were also left behind. So, in the United States, there was already a stigma attached to it as a place that was ‘amazing but never used again.’ Amazon Go's crushing defeat may have been predicted.

  Just as Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma said that the next 30 years will be the ‘era of data technology’, and Chairman Son Masayoshi said that the future is the era of artificial intelligence, Amazon may become an omnipotent company of the future. Although online-based big tech companies have grown rapidly, it is difficult for companies with outstanding technology to guarantee sustainability if they cannot secure an offline market. In that respect, it is still too early to discuss Amazon Go's failure.

Summary of changing types of unmanned stores at a glance

*Source_Naver Blog Happy Chungs’ Play and Work

Types of unmanned store start-ups in Korea in 2023 include unmanned laundries, unmanned ice cream, unmanned stationery stores, unmanned meal kits & side dishes, unmanned pet supply stores, unmanned clothing stores, unmanned hardware stores, unmanned lunch boxes, unmanned space rental, and unmanned reading rooms & study cafes. , unmanned warehouse, unmanned self-photo studio, unmanned print cafe, unmanned dog shower stall, unmanned fruit shop, unmanned convenience store, etc.

*Source_Playing and working at a major site