Lagardère unveils automated Travelwell concept in Hong Kong

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Lagardère Travel Retail has unveiled its first autonomous convenience store, Travelwell, at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

The concept allows passengers to ‘grab-and-go’ with their purchase without stopping for checkout at the cashiers. Located near HKIA’a famed Sky Bridge, the 88sqm store is designed to be a one-stop convenience store where passengers can find pre-flight necessities and last-minute shopping items from categories including packaged and ready-to-eat food, beverages, travel essentials, and local souvenirs.

The store deploys an AI system and computer vision technology which streamline the shopping process in a brick-and-mortar store. Customers enter the store by tapping a credit card on, or inserting it into, the payment terminal. After they finish shopping, they can exit the store with the items selected. The credit card will then be charged for the items purchased.

The intelligent AI system uses algorithms to track the movement of the products and customers to ensure shoplifting is impossible and purchases are accurate.

Customers can print their receipts at the unit next to the exit gate, making the whole shopping process fast and straightforward. There are illustrations of the shopping procedure inside and outside of the store. In addition, staff are stationed at the store to answer questions and provide guidance to customers.

Lagardère Travel Retail first conceived the store design in 2019 as part of a development plan for HKIA, based on the belief that cashier-less shopping would be the next big trend in the retail industry.

According to Lagardère, the pandemic has shaped new norms such as maintaining good personal hygiene and completing daily routines with minimal human interactions to prevent risk of infection. Meanwhile, there has been an acceleration in the use of contactless payment, increasing reliance of e-commerce and online learning. These factors have reinforced the demand for an autonomous shop in which passengers can undergo a swift, contactless, and seamless shopping experience.

Séverine Lanthier, Asia Chief Operating Officer & Group Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Lagardère Travel Retail, commented: “We are grateful to have benefitted from the support of the Airport Authority Hong Kong and of business partners to pioneer this technology-led, innovative new store.

“Our Travelwell store and the beautiful Sky Bridge are a natural fit to each other. I hope the new shopping experience will appeal to travelers and become a memorable part of their journey. This project represents a key milestone in our ambitious roadmap to innovate to elevate the traveler shopping experience.”

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