Retailer 7-Eleven is testing a new concept: cashierless stores, according to a release.
The company has introduced the concept at its headquarters in Irving, Texas. The store is 700 square feet and currently available to employees of the company.
“Retail technology is evolving at a rapid pace and customer expectations are driving the evolution,” said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. “Our team is dedicated to continuing 7-Eleven’s legacy of innovation with industry-leading digital solutions. Most recently that has included our award winning 7Rewards loyalty platform, 7NOW on-demand delivery, mobile checkout, and now our new cashierless store.”
The store uses algorithms as well as predictive technology to be able to recognize individual persons. It has an assortment of all of 7-Eleven’s flagship products like snacks, drinks, food, groceries, OTC drugs and non-food items. The exact offerings will be continuously refined.
“Ultimately, our goal is to exceed consumers’ expectations for faster, easier transactions and a seamless shopping experience,” said Mani Suri, 7-Eleven senior vice president and chief information officer. “Introducing new store technology to 7-Eleven employees first has proven to be a very productive way to test and learn before launching to a wider audience. They are honest and candid with their feedback, which enables us to learn and quickly make adjustments to improve the experience. This in-house, custom built technology by 7-Eleven engineers is designed for our current and future customers. We continue to innovate, and coupling fresh, innovative, healthy food options with a frictionless shopping experience could be a game-changer.”
To shop in the store, an employee has to download an app, sign up and check in. Then they can go in, shop and leave. The app will display a receipt after the customer exits the store.
The store has also been working on a mobile checkout feature, which lets customers skip checkout lines and pay with their mobile phones.
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