Staffed during the day and autonomous at night. Valora already operates four hybrid stores in Switzerland and now the foodvenience provider is to rely on this 24/7 shopping solution in Germany as well in order to extend the availability of its services. On Tuesday, 5 April 2022, a ServiceStore DB opens its doors at Düsseldorf Central Station, offering round-the-clock shopping.
While staff will remain in the convenience store during the day from Monday to Sunday, the store will switch over to autonomous operation at night. Customers can then use the 24/7 ServiceStore app, which works as a kind of personal key to the store. Convenience in shopping is not just about the product range but the entire shopping experience – no matter the time of day or night.
The future of self-checkout solutions is assured
Almost three years ago, Valora became the first company in Switzerland to launch an autonomous convenience store with its cashier-free avec box solution. Valora now operates an avec box at three locations in Switzerland. Deutsche Bahn’s 24/7 ServiceStore, which opened in Ahrensburg near Hamburg in June 2021, also works according to the same principle. This was the first time that Valora made the technology available to a third-party company.
The new hybrid solution launched at Düsseldorf Central Station has also already proven to be a success in Switzerland where Valora opened four 24/7 stores under the avec brand in 2021. Another store of this kind will soon follow at the Tamoil Service Station in Schlieren ZH. The foodvenience provider sees great potential in such hybrid solutions, as existing stores only need to be equipped with the appropriate technology and integrated into the app.
Valora firmly believes that digital self-checkout solutions offering 24/7 access to its services have a future. Not only do they meet the customer’s need for autonomy when shopping, they also extend the availability of Valora’s services.