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Micro-shops, Smartshops, or autonomous shops without salespersons

23.03.2024

Micro-shops, Smartshops, or autonomous shops without salespersons

Introduction
Micro-shop Concept
Advantages for Micro-shop Owners and End Consumers
Development History of Micro-shops at AVANGARD
How Sales Occur?
How to Start a Business with Micro-shops or What's Important to Consider for Creating Your Micro-shop?
Cost of a Smartshop

Micro-shops, Smartshops, or autonomous shops without salespersons are no longer a thing of the future; they are the realities of today's retail industry. These innovative solutions meet the convenience and speed needs of consumers while optimizing costs for entrepreneurs, leading to increased profits.

According to the European Vending Association (EVA) data for 2023, the implementation of various micro-markets and smart fridges is growing in Europe. Germany leads in installed micro-markets, with its base growing to 600. The UK follows with approximately 480 self-service micro-stores and vending points installed last year.

Micro-shop Concept

Autonomous micro-shops are small, self-service retail points without salespersons, offering a wide range of products from groceries to household appliances. Their concept lies in fully automating the purchasing process.

Advantages for сonsumers

Convenience and accessibility: customers can make purchases anytime without queues or interaction with salespersons.

Advantages for Micro-shop Owners

Cost optimization through process automation that eliminates the need for salespersons. Micro-shops operate fully autonomously, eliminating the need to hire and train staff and pay salaries.
Micro-shops operate 24/7, occupying significantly less space, increasing their efficiency and profit potential.
Sensors and computer vision systems track customer preferences and collect data to optimize inventory, offer personalized deals, and enhance customer loyalty.

Development History of Micro-shops at AVANGARD

Starting our journey in the vending industry, we, AVANGARD company, aimed to be innovators, offering not only interesting but progressive solutions.

In reality, we wanted and want to change the understanding of standard vending and create comfort for every consumer without expectations. Therefore, flexibility is at the core of our work. Developing flexible software allows us to combine an almost unlimited number of vending machines for selection and payment on a single terminal. Thus, we can easily create a zone for the customer with 2, 3, 10 vending machines offering different types of products: dairy products, juices/waters, snacks, flowers, souvenirs, toys, and more.

AVANGARD machines do not limit our partners in the choice of products for sale.

Therefore, developing our line of machines, we assumed that our products could stand side by side as a single form factor. And when about 4 years ago automatic micro-shops started gaining popularity in Europe, as evidenced by reports from EVA (European Vending Association), we realized that we were moving in the right direction. Such a form factor allows creating a zone only for the customer, without the cost of an employee and the creation of conditions for them: dressing room, toilet, shower, etc.

Today, AVANGARD is the only company in Ukraine that produces fully autonomous micro-shops (Smartshops) turnkey.>

Smartshops are modular systems, so the customer can choose the size and placement of shelves, refrigerated chambers, microwave ovens, coffee and beverage machines, payment terminals, as well as the overall style of the machine. They fit practically any space. All vending machines manufactured by AVANGARD can be combined into one comprehensive micro-shop. Different vending machine models and product dispensing methods can be combined. For fragile items, we have a lift delivery system (Qube lift)

Smartshops allow the consumer to browse and choose various food products, drinks, and other goods as in a regular store. Payment can be made in cash or by bank card, and a receipt is issued. Fresh, frozen, and chilled products, hot and cold beverages, snacks, and more have no restrictions on product types.

Our Smartshops (micro-shops) can be placed inside buildings (business centers, shopping malls, retail centers) or outdoors. The constructions are reliably protected by software and sturdy vandal-resistant design.

How Sales Occur:

The consumer selects the desired items on the touch-screen monitor (basket function).
The system calculates the cost of the items and displays the total.
The consumer pays a single transaction by bank card or cash.
The consumer receives their items.

How to Start a Business with Micro-shops or What's Important to Consider for Creating Your Micro-shop?

Most importantly, as always in vending, it's the location and target audience that matter for the business. The future micro-shop owner must understand where their customer is and what can motivate them to start a purchase: it can be a product that's relevant here and now, or long queues at competitors, a complicated purchasing system, and more. Therefore, it's important to study the target audience and consumer behavior. AVANGARD specialists can easily realize and replicate any wishes.

Cost of a Smartshop (Micro-shop)

Real examples are currently under consideration for future owners. From experience, we can say that the most profitable locations for micro-shops are gas stations and shopping malls with high foot traffic.

Of course, the price of such a solution depends on the number of vending machines, their tasks, and the options required for operation. The cost of a Smartshop (Smartshop) manufactured by AVANGARD can start from 10,000 euros for 2 machines: snack and souvenir + one payment module. One of our projects for a fully autonomous gas station was estimated at 30-35 thousand euros, using 3-4 large snack machines, a payment module, and a microwave oven module for heating.

A micro-shop (smartshop) can already become your business solution today, whether as a startup or scaling an existing business. Moreover, such machines can be just the perfect solution for business centers where employees can not only have a snack but also purchase flowers, souvenirs, electronics, and much more.

Got questions? Fill out the form below, and we'll contact you for a detailed consultation.

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Micro-shops, Smartshops, or autonomous shops without salespersons

Micro-shops, Smartshops, or autonomous shops without salespersons

Micro-shop Concept

Advantages for Micro-shop Owners

Development History of Micro-shops at AVANGARD

How Sales Occur:

How to Start a Business with Micro-shops or What's Important to Consider for Creating Your Micro-shop?

Cost of a Smartshop (Micro-shop)

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