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Tomorrow, Carrefour is opening a first autonomous shop for last-minute shopping in Belgium. The vending machines, named Carrefour BuyBye, will complement the existing shop offering. The plan is to offer the solution to all its current stores.
Micro shops
The first Carrefour Buybye, measuring just 18 sqm, is located at the retailer’s Belgian headquarters in Zaventem (near Brussels). The tiny shop consists of refrigerators where customers can buy their lunch, snacks, cold drinks and fruit. However, users do have to download the Carrefour Buybye app, create an account and add a payment method before they can use the app to open the fridges, take out products and checkout.
It will only be open Monday to Friday from 7 to 22h to start with, but from January it will be open seven days a week. The new format aims to provide a practical solution for everyday grocery shopping: the idea behind the autonomous micro shops is to serve consumers as close as possible to their homes and workplaces. Carrefour will also offer it to all its existing physical shops, which can use it to expand their operations.
Artificial intelligence
The technology behind the concept, a combination of product weighing and computer vision, works using artificial intelligence. Cameras strategically placed on each shelf provide double-checking to ensure correct checkout. The AI is trained to recognise each product from every angle, ensuring a seamless customer experience.
Carrefour developed Buybye in collaboration with start-up Reckon AI, which specialises in designing micro shops equipped with artificial intelligence.
