The first remote-managed shops will be launched in Hungary as early as this summer, according to a statement published on Thursday and reported by Világgazdaság. They will operate in conventional mode during the day and in automatic mode at night, i.e. without staff. The technology allows these new shops to serve customers non-stop, seven days a week. It is the Czech example that has shown that remote management can make it economically viable to run a shop in locations where it is impossible to operate a business profitably under the traditional model. This new solution could also offer the possibility for people living in smaller, rural communities to have access to basic food and other products locally at any time.
A good way to address a social problem
According to Világgazdaság, the new model was adapted to the Hungarian conditions by Laurel Ltd. The company will present the concept in detail in mid-May; however, it is already known that its introduction is under preparation in several store chains. At Laurel, they see the innovation not only as a step forward for consumers and retailers but also as a way to address a growing social problem: “It’s clear that even the biggest global players in retail are looking at how to implement automated stores in the most efficient and economical way. […] Our solution is fully automated, even for container-sized stores, but our analysis shows that the so-called hybrid model is currently in greater demand in the domestic market,” said István Bessenyei, owner of Laurel Ltd.
How will these new shops operate?
In practice, it is envisaged that existing shops will continue to operate as before during the busiest hours. Meanwhile, outside normal opening hours (nights, holidays) they will be fully automated, with so-called remote monitoring. Shoppers can then enter the store and pay using technologies that are already reliably in operation in a number of locations. According to Laurel, it is reasonable to assume that the system will be a success in Hungary. They believe that customers will find it easy to use and will be happy to come into the new shops at any time. At the same time, retailers will gain significant additional revenue while optimising their operating costs. According to turizmus.com, these new shops will be able to attract tourists in places where shops might close as early as 6 PM.
Source: Daily News Hungary
