Autonomous stores: Behind the technology set to take the future

Few things are more frustrating than waiting in a long line. Add tiredness and impatience to the scenario, and you may not even make it to the checkout as the temptation to bail kicks in. 

Our research found that 30% of customers have a negative shopping experience due to long checkouts, and 44% choose to shop online to avoid such crowds. This doesn’t bode well for businesses that rely on brick-and-mortar sales. Their revenue is at risk with every customer choosing to leave.

This is where autonomous stores come into play as a solution that more businesses are adopting to remain agile. They blend technology with convenience, integrating seamless payments into the shopping flow.

Autonomous stores are transforming how we buy: no more waiting in line or fumbling for your preferred payment method. You just pick what you want and walk out, without ever breaking your stride. In a nutshell, they’re making every shopping trip a hit.

"The retail industry has been trying to remove friction and reduce costs since the invention of modern stores," noted Tim Oldeman, Co-founder of Husky Intelligent Fridges. "Since Amazon Go launched unmanned retail stores to the public, most retailers entered the race towards autonomous retail. Experts predict there will be over 12,000 autonomous retail stores in 2027."