GRUBHUB INC. When you're racing to a late afternoon class but haven't eaten since you landed on campus at
That's not a scenario students and staff at the
The Smart Market mini convenience store is located within the
The autonomous shopping experience is powered by a dedicated app, built by the university's IT team, that integrated seamlessly with AiFi's solution which also includes camera-vision-based technology.
The app lets students and staff gain access to the store, select items and leave without waiting in a cashier line or even having to scan items via a traditional self-checkout process. It instantly charges and generates a purchase receipt.
The trip for a quick bite or beverage at the store is super-fast and super easy — walk in, walk out — fulfilling the definition of a rewarding customer experience.
How it began
The
It is very focused on innovation and the "big picture" when it comes to implementing new tech into campus, according to
"After the impact of COVID-19, we wanted to ensure that any new digital transformation on campus served the purpose of improving efficiencies for students and staff," Mallie said in an email interview.
The campus had previously deployed a partnership with
"We have already seen success investing in the future of dining services on campus with mobile apps to order and pick up food and a
The fact that AiFi was already a proven win on a campus setting, as the
"We read about other university stores AiFi had deployed and discovered it to be a flexible and minimally disruptive solution with no additional fixtures or hardware needed for the store, and the ability to utilize a custom mobile app for a better guest experience. We want to ensure all guests have a frictionless experience without any technology challenges," said Mallie.
Keys to success
The keys to the successful AiFi project were multi-fold, according to Mallie and AiFi.
"Be sure in advance that you are well aware of how the technology works from start to finish so you can determine if it is the best fit for your campus or retail outlet," he said. "Get to know your tech partner too as they will be essential in developing your store and making it a success."
Another big key, according to
"Educational institutions should consider the high-traffic areas on campus they want to mediate. AiFi's solution works best with smaller scale convenience stores where students and staff can come in, grab pre-made and already packaged items, and leave," said Carlin in an email interview.
Typical concerns about such technology often center around privacy and data protection.
"With respect to our solution, the presence of computer vision cameras does not infringe on personal customer privacy and data," said Carlin. "AiFi's platform assigns an avatar to each shopper to accurately track who is purchasing what, with no biometric collection needed, compared to Amazon's palm scanning or hand waving technology that requires a customer's personal data for the payment."
His advice to campuses and retailers considering adding technology into the shopper journey is the importance of thoughtful education to help the shopper learn new behaviors.
"That sounds funny maybe but a typical shopping trip to a grocery or convenience store has years of conditioning behind it," said Carlin. "When disruptive technology is used smartly, it comes with extra effort put around education of how the shopper journey has just been made better. So, our advice is to think through how to introduce the technology and how to guide the shopper through the trip with clear instructions and signage, cues and clues and even store personnel at the initial opening."
Photo courtesy of
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