Autonomous Shopping Coming to San Diego High-Rise Community
Amazon Go has competition in the autonomous shopping arena. Checkout-free retail solutions provider Accel Robotics is launching its automated Valet Market store with Last Step Delivery within Brookfield's luxury high-rise community, Vantage Pointe, in San Diego's East Village.
Shoppers at the 1,500-square-foot Valet Market will simply download the app and use their phone to check into the store. Once inside, shoppers can select desired items and walk out without having to wait in line to check out. Advanced technologies, including computer vision, shelf-level sensors and patented camera-based artificial intelligence, automatically track products as shoppers remove them from the shelves. When exiting the store, a receipt will be delivered promptly to the shopper's mobile device, eliminating the wasted time and hassle of traditional or self-checkout.
Designed as a shared pantry for the neighborhood, Valet Market will offer locally sourced items, such as produce, baked goods and dairy, alongside everyday convenience items on the store's smart shelves. The market is also integrated with Accel Robotics’ proprietary delivery solution Last Step, allowing residents to order goods through the store's mobile app for on-demand delivery straight to their door.
“Valet Market signals a new era in modern convenience that offers community residents 24/7 access to autonomous shopping while serving as a distribution hub for the larger community," said Brandon Maseda, CEO and co-founder of Accel Robotics. "We're enabling a grab-and-go store of the future for a fast, hyper-local shopping experience, all while setting a new standard of service with our Last Step delivery offering."
This cashier-less walkout retail concept has proved a success for Amazon Go shoppers. A survey released earlier in the year from Mount Pleasant, S.C.-based Piplsay found that 54% of Amazon Go shoppers rated their experience in those stores as “excellent,” with 35% rating the experience as “good,” 7% as “not very good” and 4% as “bad.”
"We're experiencing incredible momentum around delivering autonomous shopping solutions for enterprise customers across the retail sector," added Maseda. "With Valet Market, we have the opportunity to showcase our next-generation contactless shopping experience directly to consumers while providing our real estate partners with a cutting-edge, innovative tenant amenity."
San Diego-based Accel Robotics enables checkout-free shopping experiences across existing and emerging store formats. Its frictionless-commerce platform allows retailers to quickly deploy stores in net new environments, extending their reach, and thus acquiring new customers and increasing revenue.
In addition to Valet Market, Accel Robotics will soon reveal partnerships with leading U.S. brands and entities, including universities, sports venues, military bases, convenience stores, pharmacies and fuel stations.
Seattle-based Amazon is No. 2 on Progressive Grocer’s 2020 PG 100 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods, owned by Amazon, is No. 24 on PG's list.
