Retail start-up Wheelys will open a convenience store in Shanghai that allows customers to scan and purchase items with a mobile app. Called Wheelys 247, the unmanned shop will deter theft by requiring shoppers to use the mobile app to enter and monitoring patrons via video camera. The new store, which is expected to be operational within two months, has been designed for people who are not able to carry large bags of groceries or other heavy items. However, rather than licence its technology to larger retailers, Wheelys wants entrepreneurs and start-ups to find novel uses for its cashier-free solution.
Retail start-up Wheelys will open a convenience store in Shanghai that allows customers to scan and purchase items with a mobile app. Called Wheelys 247, the unmanned shop will deter theft by requiring shoppers to use the mobile app to enter and monitoring patrons via video camera. Wheelys will use the same technology it previously deployed to run coffee stands from bicycles to track product sales in its retail locations. However, rather than licence its technology to larger retailers, Wheelys wants entrepreneurs and start-ups to find novel uses for its cashier-free solution.