We are excited to launch the first checkout-free store-within-a-store in partnership with Sberbank, Visa, and Azbuka Vkusa, a leading grocery retailer in Russia. The store-within-a-store is located inside one of Azbuka Vkusa’s stores in Moscow.
As far as we can tell, it is the first ever checkout-free store in the world that is deployed using a store-within-a-store model. Azbuka Vkusa converted one of the aisles of their store for this cashier-less, check-out free experience.
Shoppers can visit this Zippin-powered store-within-a-store by using Sberbank’s Take & Go mobile app with a linked credit card. It’s the same great user experience you’d expect at every Zippin-powered store - check-in at the entrance with a QR code, shop naturally, and simply exit when done.
Zippin-powered store within an existing store
With the coronavirus pandemic changing shopping norms, many retailers are questioning how they can adapt and prepare for the uncertain future.
Retailers can set up mini Zippin-powered stores at the front of their existing stores to aid in social distancing efforts and keep their frontline employees and customers safe. These mini stores can be stocked with essential products that are high in demand. Shoppers who only need these essentials can check-in, grab what they want, and exit without waiting in line.
This allows the retailer to have a higher throughput of shoppers with fewer shoppers inside the larger store and shortened lines both outside the store and at the check-out counters. They can also control the number of shoppers entering the mini stores through the electronic access-controlled turnstiles. Their employees can be protected as the frontline workers now also interact with fewer shoppers.
Retailers can monitor inventory in the mini store in real-time and receive alerts for restocking. On the flip side, shoppers can also check the availability of products remotely via the app. Retailers can also prevent hoarding and enforce quantity limits by adding surge pricing for items over the prescribed limit, even if shoppers try to game the system by coming back over several store visits.
There are two options for setting up a Zippin-powered store-within-a-store. The Zippin Cube is an all-inclusive turnkey solution to put a Zippin-powered store inside an existing grocery store or supermarket. Alternatively, we can also convert an existing aisle in the store to a Zippin store through a retrofit similar to what we did with Azbuka Vkusa. Retailers can use either of these two options to set themselves up for the future.
