Retail Business Services, the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, launched new frictionless store technology, piloted under the name Lunchbox, which consumers people to shop a small format store in seconds by scanning in, shopping and walking out. The technology is currently being tested in Retail Business Services’ Quincy, Massachusetts, office.
Retail Business Services partnered with UST Global, a leading digital transformation solutions company, to develop the store. Retail Business Services led application development, technology connectivity and provided food retail operations expertise, and UST Global and its partners provided the artificial intelligence (AI) technology solution and physical infrastructure for the store. The technology will be demoed at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show in January in collaboration with UST Global and Intel.
“Lunchbox is an easy, fresh shopping alternative,” said Paul Scorza, EVP, IT and CIO for Retail Business Services. “Once registered, shoppers simply scan in, shop and walk out. It’s that easy. And it offers fresh, healthy options 24/7. You can grab a snack, a salad, fresh fruit or even a carton of milk on your way home.”
Retail Business Services said that compared to other frictionless store concepts, Lunchbox is efficient and can be implemented in a matter of weeks.
“We believed in this concept so much we brought it to our own office,” Scorza said. “Our cafeteria that serves more than 1,000 associates was being remodeled, and we were looking for a quick, cost effective solution to give associates access to beverages, snacks and fresh items at a variety of hours. We implemented this solution in just six weeks. Today, thousands of shops, with groups of up to 12 in the store at the same time, have been successfully completed.”
