Santa Clara, Calif. – AiFi, the technology company creating the world’s most advanced store automation systems, is powering and providing the Nanostore template for the new Albert Heijn digital store which literally “landed” at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
The autonomous store is now open to the busy travellers at the world’s fourth busiest international airport, where they can experience the speed and convenience of checkout-free shopping. Through the end of January, visitors to the store can just walk in and walk out. They can tab a (contactless) debit card at the door to open it automatically. Then shoppers can get the products they want and simply leave. The items are automatically registered and paid for. Shoppers can also check their purchases at the exit to verify the receipt.
The small-footprint, portable digital store now sits on the Jan Dellaert Square in front of Schiphol Plaza, after being transported on the back of a trailer truck from its initial test location at Albert Heijn’s headquarters in Zaandam (video) where it has operated since September.
“The airport is a perfect place for autonomous stores. Travelers are very aware of their time and need food and drinks at a variety of hours. We are very happy to collaborate with Albert Heijn to bring more convenience and delight to busy travelers,” said Steve Gu, CEO and Co-founder of AiFi. “This speaks to the original design thinking behind NanoStore: to make a plug-and-play modular store so it can be easily placed and moved where people need it the most.”
“Speed and convenience are paramount for our travelers. We are happy to give a stage to this innovation from Albert Heijn and are naturally extremely proud that we can be the first to offer visitors to Schiphol the benefits of checkout-free shopping. Albert Heijn and Schiphol have been working together for years. We are constantly looking at how we can improve the shopping experience through the use of new digital technologies, for example,” said Irene Muysson, Head of Retail, Food & Beverage and Commercial Services at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
About Albert Heijin
Albert Heijn, an Ahold Delhaize brand, is the leading food retailer in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The company’s mission is to offer all the ingredients for a better life. Every day it brings good, safe, sustainable and healthy food to millions of customers. Stores offer a wide range of high quality items and friendly, helpful service. Long opening hours and online ordering enable customers to shop for groceries around the clock. Albert Heijn is committed to offering the best for its customers and associates and to being a better neighbor to the communities it serves.
About AiFi
AiFi is an AI technology company automating the world’s stores for retailers and brands of all sizes, from small footprint pop-up stores to supermarkets. AiFi uses a combination of AI, edge computing and scalable sensor fusion technology to operate the autonomous stores. With its NanoStore, AiFi provides a tiny footprint, modular, plug-and-play automated store of the future that can operate, unstaffed, 24/7. NanoStores deliver faster, more convenient shopping near homes, offices, schools and transit centers. For more information, visit nanostore.ai.
