It is now possible to quickly pick up a packet of flour or a bottle of wine around the clock – including on weekends – in the village of Freckenfeld in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
The local village store, closed since May 2023, has recently reopened as a 24/7 grocery store with self-service checkouts.
To ensure a smooth operation, Diebold Nixdorf equipped the store, called 'Dorfladen Freckenfeld – Powered by Edeka Paul', with two DN Series® EASY eXpress self-service checkouts for cashless payment.
Both systems operate in a special unmanned mode, allowing for use at all times.
In the morning, employees are on site to replenish the shelves and assist customers when required.
AI-Based Age Verification
During this temporary presence of staff, the purchase of age-restricted goods such as alcoholic beverages – the range in the village store includes numerous products from local winegrowers – can also be carried out using automatic, AI-based age verification.
When an item is scanned at the self-service checkout, the Vynamic® Smart Vision I Age Verification solution from Diebold Nixdorf prompts customers for consent to enable automatic age recognition.
Upon consent, the customer's facial characteristics are analysed using a camera installed on the system and sophisticated AI algorithms determine their age. If the detected age is above a predefined threshold, the transaction proceeds.
If there is no staff in the village store, the area with the age-restricted goods can only be accessed by presenting an ID card, which also authorises the purchase.
The new operator of the store, Benedikt Paul, who already runs two Edeka stores in Rhineland-Palatinate, stated, "Our 'Dorfladen Freckenfeld – Powered by EDEKA Paul' offer has been very well received. We are delighted that, together with the residents of Freckenfeld, we have been able to develop a new approach to convenient local shopping that optimally meets the needs of our customers with a modern store concept and innovative technologies, while at the same time enabling cost-effective operation."
Matt Redwood, vice president, Retail Technology Solutions at Diebold Nixdorf, said, "The village store in Freckenfeld is a successful example of how modern store technology with self-service checkouts can help to ensure that local supplies, which are urgently needed in rural areas in particular, are available around the clock.
"The automatic, AI-based age verification solution also enables a faster checkout process. This pleases customers and allows employees to concentrate on their core tasks."
Diebold Nixdorf
Diebold Nixdorf automates, digitises and transforms the way people bank and shop.
As a partner to the majority of the world's top 100 financial institutions and top 25 global retailers, the company's integrated solutions connect digital and physical channels conveniently, securely and efficiently for millions of consumers each day.
The company is present in more than 100 countries with approximately 21,000 employees.
Visit www.dieboldnixdorf.com for more information.
This article was written in partnership with Diebold Nixdorf.
