Convenience Stores Heading Toward an Unmanned Era... "From Automated Payment to Robot Delivery"

GS25, 536 Hybrid Stores
Seven Eleven Introduces Delivery Robot 'Newbie'
BGF Retail Invests in US Unmanned Payment Startup

On the 22nd, GS25 partnered with SK Shieldus to introduce a security system for unmanned convenience stores equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) cameras.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The convenience store industry is accelerating its transition to future-oriented stores such as unmanned stores and robot delivery. The four major convenience store chains are expanding hybrid stores and conducting tests of fully unmanned stores equipped with cutting-edge technology.

◆ Increasing Unmanned Stores = According to GS25 on the 24th, the number of hybrid stores, which was 181 last year, increased to 536 as of October this year, and they aim to expand to over 600 stores by the end of the year. On the 22nd, GS25 also introduced the industry's first security system equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) cameras in unmanned convenience stores. Currently, CU operates 300 hybrid stores, Seven-Eleven operates 183, and Emart24 operates 800. These stores have staff during the day and operate as unmanned stores during late-night hours.

Fully unmanned stores apply technologies such as biometric recognition, QR codes, LiDAR cameras, and weight detection sensors, enabling automatic payment when customers select and take products. Currently, these are in pilot operation stages and mostly run in closed environments such as company headquarters. CU’s ‘Tech Friendly’ and Seven-Eleven’s ‘DT Lab Store’ are representative examples. Emart24 opened a fully smart store accessible to general customers at COEX Starfield in Seoul last September. This store plans to introduce additional systems this month for identifying abnormal shopping behavior, detecting emergencies and property damage within the store, selling age-restricted products like cigarettes with adult verification, and establishing a remote store management system using intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

On the 22nd, Seven Eleven introduced the autonomous delivery robot 'Newbee' at the Seoul Seocho I-Park store.

◆ Active Startup Collaboration and Investment = Seven-Eleven introduced the autonomous delivery robot ‘NewBee’ at its Seocho I’Park store in Seoul about three months after signing a business agreement with the startup ‘Newbility.’ NewBee provides delivery services within a 100m radius. Its top speed is 7.2 km/h, and its maximum load capacity is 25 kg. When an order is placed through Seven-Eleven or a delivery application (app), the store calls the customer via a safe call to confirm robot delivery before proceeding. Seven-Eleven plans to expand the service operation radius step-by-step up to 300m after a three-month intensive testing period.

BGF Retail, which operates CU, invested 12.3 billion KRW in the U.S. unmanned payment technology startup 'Standard Cognition.' Standard Cognition possesses automatic payment technology based on AI-powered computer vision solutions. A BGF Retail official said, “This is a proactive investment in promising overseas companies with advanced technology, considering mid- to long-term business relevance,” adding, “We are currently reviewing whether to introduce the company’s technology domestically in the future.”

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