Bill Hanifin

Kroger Goes All Robotic with C-Store

January 13, 2012

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Kroger has opened a fully automated convenience store on the campus of Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. The store, a 10x13-foot unit that stands nine-feet tall, carries up to 200 standard convenience items. Are robotic convenience stores one of the retailing waves of the future?      [more...]

Taking the vending machine to another level is logical and in settings like a college campus seem to be the best place for trial of the concept.

More impressive than the machine and its technology would be the wisdom in selecting which products are available through the device.

I hope Kroger has built into its plan a method through which it can learn what people would like to have in the box. Slow moving items will be obvious, but what do students really want?

Maybe they should allow students to check in a code after purchase and leave comments about future wants. Participation would lead to a freebie down the road.