SINGAPORE: Singapore 7-Eleven will soon go ‘cashierless and frictionless,’ a bold move towards the future of convenience stores. The 7-Eleven outlet at Hive 2.0 along Esplanade Xchange introduces the autonomous store, 7-Eleven Shop & Go, as reported by The Edge Singapore.
Customers only need to tap their credit card at the entrance to gain access. A small fee is charged to verify the card, which is refundable if no purchase is made. Shoppers can then pick their items and exit, with the purchase automatically charged to their credit card, thanks to smart cameras, deep learning, and multi-sensor fusion technologies.
Serene Seow, managing director of 7-Eleven Singapore, revealed, “The 7-Eleven Shop & Go store will run for a minimum of six months while we gather and review feedback. We have set a limit of five shoppers within the store to ensure a comfortable shopping experience, and we will continue to monitor and adjust this limit, if necessary.”
There’s also speculation that 7-Eleven might broaden accepted payment options if the trial expands, according to DigitalEdge.
Order at 7-Eleven via QuikBot
In addition to this, office workers at South Beach Development now have the option to order from the 7-Eleven at Esplanade MRT station using the QuikBot app. These orders are then delivered directly to their office buildings by QuikBot’s autonomous delivery robots.
QuikBot’s delivery robots operate seamlessly, consolidating orders on larger robots and navigating lifts, gantries, and multiple buildings. They exchange items to optimise logistics efficiency and self-navigate common corridors as they transport orders between Esplanade MRT and South Beach Tower.
What other innovations are available in the Hive 2.0?
These groundbreaking initiatives are part of a series of innovations being tested at Hive 2.0, a 32,000 sq ft retail innovation hub managed by Stellar Lifestyle, a business arm of SMRT.
Among the local start-up developments, other concepts being explored include:
- The Gym Pod – an on-demand fully private gym
- JAVIS – an automated bubble tea store
- BuzzAR – a virtual assistant powered by AI for shopping guidance
- Mr.R Robotics – Singapore’s first adaptive robotics retail store
- NOYES – a fully automated nano-warehousing storage solution
- Le Tach Vending – an intelligent vending machine operator stocking a variety of products
- IncuBaker – an F&B incubator providing co-working kitchen space
- Yzel – an AI-powered, pop-up sampling solution supporting local brands
- Tap Tiles – a startup at Hive 2.0, designs kinetic floor tiles that harvest clean energy and data from footsteps while engaging users in the process.
Tony Heng, president of Stellar Lifestyle, stated, “Hive by Stellar Lifestyle continues to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by introducing and validating innovations. This year, Hive 2.0 will leverage AI, robotics, and connected networks to help our merchant partners become more operationally resilient.”
He emphasised, “We designed these innovations to leverage our extensive rail network, allowing us to create new in-store experiences where consumers can enjoy greater convenience and enhanced retail experiences. What you see here today could scale across the train network in the future, as SMRT is committed to Moving People, Enhancing Lifestyles.”
Singapore’s 7-Eleven is boldly stepping into the future, where shopping becomes as easy as a tap while delivery is handled by robots – a true testament to innovation at Hive 2.0./TISG