Using AiFi's integrated in-store sensor fusion and AI technology, tiny stores provide Shop and Walk convenience for customers
SANTA CLARA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 13, 2019 / AiFi, the technology company creating the world's most advanced store automation systems, and Valora, a premier convenience and food service provider with 2800 outlets in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France, today announce they will develop a new small retail format - the k kiosk box. It is based on the fully automated NanoStore concept which AiFi introduced at the NRF Big Show in New York. The first k kiosk-branded auto-checkout NanoStore powered by AiFi will be launched by the end of the year, at a location in Switzerland still to be determined, with a goal of the brand being deployed in locations where there had been no or very few convenience shopping offerings. These modular, small-footprint stores are fully-automated, check-out free and can operate 24-7. The modern stores will feature the essential products that busy commuters want and need every day.
The technology-based stores will be accessed via a smartphone app so shoppers can gain entry to the store and also make a payment. Because the AiFi solution delivers real-time analytics, k kiosk managers know instantly what inventory needs to be restocked. The whole shopping experience will be not only fast and convenient but also personal--shelves stocked with products customers truly want.
"We are excited to develop this new shopping experience," says Michael Mueller, CEO at Valora, on the collaboration with AiFi. "With the k kiosk box, we are taking convenience to the next level making it easier and faster for customers to get what they need."
"Thanks to this relationship with Valora, we will introduce the technology of the AiFi NanoStore to locations where customers really benefit from the most efficient shopping experience, while we also help Valora meet the growing customer demand for a modern, friction-less store. Shopping transactions at these stores can be completed in seconds," said Steve Gu, CEO and Co-founder, AiFi. "As the NanoStore was built with modularity in mind, Valora will be able to use the concept for the k kiosk box and adapt it to the needs of Swiss customers."
The technology running k kiosk will be AiFi's NanoStore, a design for an auto-checkout retail format enabling the smoothest shopping experience around the clock. AiFi is pioneering this innovative solution through sensor fusion and Artificial Intelligence. The technology running k kiosk will utilize AI algorithms for real-time people tracking, action and product recognition, as well as camera technology and systems. The on-premise computing inside the NanoStore means there is no need for the cloud and no human intervention, meeting high privacy requirements so customers are satisfied, and privacy is fully-protected.
For more information about AiFi, its technology and NanoStores, visit www.aifi.io and nanostore.ai.
Images available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1GobDO4o1LVTpXYaHIYFozz6BzMR-eZ1s
Video here: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1cLEfZH6YgKm8TNdNOW7-rivQPj0-zYCc
About Valora
Each and every day, around 15,000 employees in the Valora network work to brighten up their customers' journeys with a comprehensive convenience and food offering - nearby, quick, convenient and fresh. The more than 2,800 small-scale outlets of Valora are located at highly-frequented sites in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. The company includes, among others, the formats k kiosk, Brezelkönig, BackWerk, Ditsch, Press & Books, avec, Caffè Spettacolo and the popular own brand ok.–, as well as a continuously growing range of digital services. Valora is also one of the world's leading producers of pretzels and benefits from a well-integrated value chain in the area of baked goods. Valora generates annual external sales of CHF 2.6 billion. The Group is headquartered in Muttenz, Switzerland. The registered shares of Valora Holding AG (VALN) are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Further information can be found at www.valora.com.
About AiFi
AiFi is a technology company creating the world's most advanced store automation systems. With a combination of AI, edge computing and scalable sensor fusion technology, AiFi delivers auto-checkout operations for retailers of any size. With its NanoStore, AiFi provides a tiny footprint, modular, plug-and-play automated store of the future that can operate, unstaffed, 24/7. NanoStores deliver faster, more convenient shopping near homes, offices, schools and transit centers. For more information, visit aifi.io and nanostore.ai.Media Contact:
Erica Zeidenberg for AiFi
925-631-0553 office
925-518-8159 mobile
SOURCE: AiFi