Cloudpick container-style smart stores — Moby Mart, make their debut in Hungary! Technological prowess supports the global smart upgrade of physical retail

Customer requirements

Kende Gastro, a company with nearly 40 years of experience in the restaurant and retail industry, recognized the impact of the current pandemic on offline shopping habits. Founder and CFO Kend Gabór realized that faster checkout and cashless payments would be crucial for the transformation of restaurants and retail enterprises. In 2020, Kende Gastro initiated a strategy for unmanned and automated development. Even before Starbucks and Amazon, they collaborated with the coffee brand Costa to open the world's first automated coffee shop in Budapest.

While there are already self-service vending stores based on RFID technology or self-checkout solutions in the market, they still face challenges in terms of convenience and cost-effectiveness. In September 2021, in search of a better solution, Kende Gastro came across information about container-style automated stores. After in-depth research and analysis, they decided to highlight this innovative business as a major focus for the company's future development. Following negotiations with various technology companies, Kende Gastro extended an olive branch of collaboration to Cloudpick, an AI unmanned retail and unmanned warehouse solutions provider.

Cloudpick Solution

They have adopted the Cloudpick AI digitalized solution, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as 3D computer vision, deep learning, and multi-sensor fusion:

• Cloudpick Container Store (Moby Mart): A mobile smart store designed to quickly deploy in various outdoor settings, enabling rapid openings. Utilizing computer vision, machine learning, and multi-sensor fusion, it precisely recognizes customer actions and product information, facilitating automatic checkout as customers exit.

• Cloudpick Store Digital Management System: Operators have the flexibility to monitor store operations, place online orders, adjust prices, set up promotions, and receive alerts for out-of-stock items. This system enables remote store management, providing real-time insights into the business.

Result

In May 2022, the global leading payment company MasterCard collaborated with Coca-Cola to introduce Cloudpick's mobile AI intelligent unmanned store product—Moby Mart, supporting the landing of the first container-style automated store "Take it easy" owned by the renowned Hungarian food company Kende Gastro in Budapest

Budapest's First Automated Store, Redefining Shopping Experience

"Take it easy utilizes AI cameras to track the entire shopping process of consumers, identifying the products they pick up and put back," shared Kende Gabor in a recent Forbes interview. "This means no need for staff or even cashiers; the system can handle regular transactions, addressing the issue of high labor costs during nights, weekends, and holidays, effortlessly achieving 24/7 operation."

Specifically, customers only need to download the Take it easy application, register an account, and link it to their MasterCard credit card before their first visit. Subsequently, for each visit, they open the application, retrieve and present the QR code at the gate.

AI cameras accurately recognize which products customers take from the shelves, instantly adding them to the virtual shopping cart associated with the customer. When returning items, the AI removes them from the virtual cart immediately. Even with multiple pick-ups, changes of mind, or placing items in the wrong location, can the AI cameras still make correct judgments? The answer is yes. After customers complete their selection, they can leave the store, and within seconds, the corresponding amount is automatically deducted from their MasterCard credit card. They receive the detailed order information in the application. This payment method, to some extent, accelerates credit card companies' deployment of contactless payments, expanding market coverage through innovative business models that offer a more convenient and secure payment experience.

Take it easy lives up to its name. Its arrival allows consumers in Budapest to experience the convenience and wonder of "grab and go, no need to pay," further reshaping their understanding of offline shopping methods.

It's worth noting that Take it easy also supports "one code, multiple people." By setting the number of accompanying people before entering the store, family and friends can scan the same QR code, and all their shopping activities will be recorded on the associated payment account.

Containerized Automated Stores, Revolutionizing Opening Efficiency

Containers serve as highly flexible business elements, and as a carrier, automated stores can quickly be deployed to various corners of the world.

With extensive engineering experience, Cloudpick's containerized automated stores can be shipped as a whole, plug-and-play, and installation and debugging can be completed in 2-3 weeks. Given that this format does not require a building permit, it can easily be placed in parks, communities, business districts, exhibitions, scenic areas, and various outdoor locations, achieving rapid deployment. The exterior can even be customized based on the surrounding environment or marketing needs. In the case of Take it easy, it incorporates the styles of MasterCard and Cloudpick logos, resonating with the warm color palette of Coca-Cola's brand, presenting a joyful and vibrant visual experience to consumers.

In addition to installing and debugging various hardware and software components, Cloudpick also provides a dedicated Customer Success team. Throughout the operation of the containerized automated store, continuous IT technical support is offered, along with analysis reports on user profiles and consumer data. This support aids operators in promptly implementing targeted optimization measures.

Unleashing the Potential of Unmanned Retail Solutions, Redefining Application Scenarios

After operating for some time, Kende Gastro has become even more convinced: unmanned retail is the future of the industry.

On one hand, unmanned cashiering and unattended operation can simultaneously alleviate the workload of store staff and the personnel pressure on the store. While bringing convenience to consumers in the shopping dimension, it also provides operational convenience for operators, significantly lowering the barrier to opening a store. On the other hand, the automated settlement method releases a significant amount of space in the store. There is no need to set up manual or self-service checkout counters, allowing the limited space to be used for more diverse product displays, resulting in higher economic efficiency.

During the Hungarian Expo held in March of this year, Kende Gastro won the gold award in the retail technology innovation category with its automated store built on Cloudpick AI technology. This achievement marks another instance, after France's Auchan, where Cloudpick has assisted a customer in securing an internationally recognized innovation award.

Customer Testimonial

In addition to selling beverages like Take it easy, Kende Gastro believes that unmanned retail can be widely applied to sell other product categories. The company plans to open 100 automated stores in the future, covering large chain supermarkets, small grocery stores, pet food stores, bookstores, and hotels, among others. Additionally, Kende Gastro envisions applying this solution to the "Hungarian Village Plan" in the future, addressing shopping difficulties in remote villages due to low population and a lack of grocery stores. This initiative aims to bring the convenience and joy of "grab and go" to more communities. The collaboration has also captured the attention of credit card companies and brand manufacturers such as MasterCard and Coca-Cola, highlighting the tremendous potential of unmanned retail solutions, especially containerized automated stores. A new wave of digitization, intelligence, and automation is poised to sweep across the globe.