French retailer Auchan has opened its first miniature 'Auchan Box' convenience store in Shanghai, China, reports LSA. The new store, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is only 13 square metres in size, but features over 500 product lines, including drinks, snacks, and everyday non-food products.
The main feature of the store is that it is completely digital. There are no staff members, and all payments are conducted via smartphone. In addition, the store is installed on wheels and can therefore be transported.
Logistics
The customer opens the front door with his/her phone via the Auchan or WeChat Pay app. They place products on a special bar-code reader, which adds them to a virtual cart. Payment is then completed with the AliPay app or WeChat Pay. If assistance is required, a consultant can be called on a screen.
Auchan Box has had about 300 customers per day since its launch. Around 20 outlets could be created in China by the end of the year, according to LSA.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Solene Main. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
