Face to face with the Store of the Future

I have been around for a few years (maybe slightly more than that). And ever since, I heard people talking about “the store of the future”. It would always be slightly different, depending on the person I was talking to:

• Some would say it would be highly predictive and interconnected with shopping cards to understand and react first to each impulse, adjusting stocks and offers automatically.?
• That prices would be individually set, depending on each shopper’s profile and preferences.?
• Robots would be omnipresent, catering to every need and stock refill in a very big, airy, bright space.
• Drones would place products at your feet 15 minutes after your order.?
• Glitz would abound.?

There were just three things everyone seemed to agree on:?

• Technology would be everywhere in these stores
• Customers would gladly pay for the extra service
• It would be amazing.

Last Tuesday (yes, 2023), I was face to face with the store of the future. And yes, it fulfilled my and everyone’s expectations - it was amazing, and full of technology! But I wasn’t in a futuristic city-over-the-clouds, with people teletransporting around while they walk their robot-puppies. I was in the basement of an office building in Lisbon, in a large and nice canteen room, next to a ping pong table. And this wasn’t a 3000sqm store that goes as far as the eye reaches, and self-driving cars move you and your shopping cart around - this one, I could look at the whole store in a single glance and walk in a single stride.

Welcome to the store of the future, where AI technology, ComputerVision, and clever human-oriented design come together to revolutionize shopping. Because supermarkets used to need lots of empty space - but not anymore. Shopping would take time - but not anymore.? And you would need to go at a time the store wasn’t closed - but not anymore.

Last Tuesday, I was in front of one of the microstores that uses Reckon.ai’s technology, looking at several shelves of delicious and fresh meals, natural juices, and tasty soups and desserts from one of Portugal’s most famous bio-and-natural food chains.? A store where you just tap your card, look around and choose what you want to take, and close the doors and move away - no queues, no-checkout, payment is automatic, you are in and out in less than one minute, but still have all of the usual product interaction you would have on a regular shelf. The store of the future is easy for the customer and offers a seamless shopping experience.

What also makes this store special, though, is that it is located in the basement of an office building - a place where you wouldn’t expect such a fancy food chain to have a store because… well… the financials wouldn’t work out. But that’s the thing about the store of the future - it is easy for the consumer, but it is also easy for the operator, and its low operating costs, and small size mean they can be placed anywhere. And thus it serves people that previously thought they had no options. When I look at our microstores, for me, this is the revolutionary bit. This is the way we are transforming retail - a store can be easily placed where people spend their day or commute daily, is open 24/7 and allows for a seamless, no-frills, interactive shopping experience.

P.S.- Ah! I forgot about something. Many people think that the store of the future is one where customers will willingly pay more for the experience. Forget about that. This store’s products cost as much in this store as in any regular store. The retail revolution isn’t expensive.