Offline Stores Getting Smarter... Spotlight on 'Retail Tech' Driving Digital Transformation

Unmanned Trend Sweeping the Entire Food Service Industry
Offline Store Digital Transformation Accelerates... 'Retail Tech' Emerges

As the digital transformation of offline stores accelerates recently, retail tech, which combines IT technology with retail, is spreading in various ways. Photo by Spoca

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs and non-face-to-face culture becomes the norm, offline stores adopting unmanned systems are increasing.

According to the industry on the 6th, with the recent acceleration of digital transformation in offline stores, retail tech, which combines IT technology with retail, is spreading in various forms.

Mobile App Provides a Clear View of Food Ingredient Distribution Process... Spoqa's 'Dodo Cart'

Spoqa, a startup providing solutions for small business stores, is helping the digital transformation of offline stores by launching 'Dodo Cart,' a food ingredient cost management app designed to prevent losses for store owners and maximize sales.

Restaurant owners simply take photos of purchase statements for food ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and fish using the mobile app, and Dodo Cart categorizes the complex transaction details by supplier and item for easy understanding at a glance. In particular, it analyzes each item by type, quantity, and order date, making it a useful IT solution for those in the food service industry.

Users currently using the service added that they can conveniently manage the distribution process, which was previously done haphazardly with suppliers, through a single app, and by accurately understanding expenditure items, they have seen an increase in sales.

Recently, Dodo Cart introduced a new 'Find Food Ingredient Suppliers' feature. It is expanding its function as a platform that helps connect stores with agricultural and food suppliers that perfectly fit their needs, while also working to create a transparent distribution ecosystem.

Choi Jaeseung, CEO of Spoqa, said, "Last month, the cumulative transaction amount on Dodo Cart surpassed 100 billion KRW, and as of September, the number of food ingredient suppliers registered on the app reached about 50,000, with the number of items exceeding 550,000, showing the great need for digitalization in food ingredient distribution. We plan to strengthen our technical service capabilities to develop customized features that allow store owners to select their desired suppliers and purchase fresh ingredients at competitive prices."

At the 'Beat3X Launch Commemorative Media Day' held at Danal headquarters in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, the unmanned store platform BeatBox, equipped with the 3rd generation coffee robot, was unveiled. Danal's food tech company Beat Corporation introduced a new standard for future retail platform business and its future business vision through the media day./Seongnam=Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Autonomous Retail Platform 'Bitbox' Launches Store Solutions Optimized for Each Commercial District

Bit Corporation, a subsidiary of Danal Group, has been operating over 30 robot cafes nationwide since launching Bitbox Pangyo Techno Store in April. Bitbox, a food tech-based autonomous retail platform, can stably manage and control stores without on-site staff. Moreover, AI predicts sales demand through deep learning, enabling real-time inventory tracking and automatic ordering of necessary items.

Bitbox is the first in the robot cafe industry to apply autonomous driving LiDAR technology and collects various data generated in stores to provide optimized solutions for cafe operations and marketing tailored to each commercial district, maximizing its value as an autonomous retail platform. Bit Corporation plans to enhance its O4O business by analyzing various data collected online to gain marketing insights and applying them to actual offline store operations.

Emart24 unveiled its first unmanned convenience store, the 'Complete Smart Store,' last month. The Korean-style 'Amazon Go' Complete Smart Store is a fully unmanned store that utilizes Shinsegae I&C's retail technology, including AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, voice recognition, and cloud POS. Photo by Emart24

Emart24's 'Completely Smart Store' Eliminates the Need to Wait in Checkout Lines

Last month, Emart24 unveiled its unmanned convenience store, the 'Completely Smart Store.' This Korean-style 'Amazon Go' store is a fully unmanned store utilizing Shinsegae I&C's retail tech, including AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, voice recognition, and cloud POS.

Customers can authenticate themselves and receive an entry QR code via a kiosk installed at the store entrance using their own card. When they pick up the desired products and leave the store, payment is automatically processed. There is no need to wait in checkout lines or remove items from shopping baskets.

AI and LiDAR cameras installed on the ceiling of the Completely Smart Store recognize customers' actions and the products they pick up. Weight sensors attached under product shelves and on hook-type displays measure the weight of items. Additionally, the AI chatbot 'Sparos' guides customers to product locations not only by voice but also visually on a screen, making it easy to find items. Emart24 and Shinsegae I&C plan to strengthen security by introducing additional systems, including building a remote store management system using intelligent IoT technology by November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.