Polish retailer Żabka has said that it currently operates the largest chain of autonomous stores in Europe – with the group boasting a network of 25 Żabka Nano outlets across the country.
Żabka Nano facilitates shopping without cashiers, queues, and cash, and operates in several formats, such as stand-alone container vending machines, traditional brick-and-mortar outlets, and store-in-store concepts.
The Żabka Nano format has been developed in close cooperation with the American technology company AiFi.
Żabka Nano Expands
Żabka opened its first autonomous store in June 2021 in Poznań, while other outlets are located in Gdańsk, Kraków, Piaseczno, Sopot, and Warsaw.
"Zabka is a European leader in creating modern convenience solutions that meet the needs of modern customers," commented Tomasz Suchański, CEO of Zabka Group.
"We focus on providing a unique and highly personalised shopping experience by connecting the digital world with its surroundings. In 2021, we opened 25 Żabka Nano autonomous outlets. However, we are not stopping there - in the first quarter of this year we will launch another dozen or so."
Product Assortment
The product assortment at Zabka Nano outlets is tailored to the specificity of the location and customer profile – depending on the model, it offers between 450 and 1,500 SKUs.
The concept is being developed as part of the Żabka Future Business Incubator, which combines three elements: management and searching for innovations, transforming them into new products and services, and their commercialisation.
The project also fits into the Zabka Group's sustainability strategy, using only green energy for its operations.
AiFi Technology
The AiFi platform used in all stores is a solution based on cameras, using 'computer vision' and machine learning to recognise products removed from the shelves and automatically finalise payment after leaving the store.
The system does not identify customers as they make their way around the store, guaranteeing full privacy and security.
"We are looking forward to further tightening our cooperation with Żabka. Thanks to the development of more Żabka Nano stores, powered by our technology, we will revolutionise shopping," commented Steve Gu, CEO and co-founder of AiFi.
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© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
