NTT taps smartphone savvy for unmanned stores

NTT Group is set to kick o fullscale operations of a nationwide series of small stores featuring an unmanned payment system that allows customers to shop with their smartphones.

e system is intended for use at shops located inside companies for employees there, locations at hospitals and schools, and stores in rural areas where the workforce is in decline.

NTT Group aims to have the system set up at 200 stores nationwide by scal 2024. A subsidiary of NTT East Corp. will provide the service.

Shoppers enter the store a er scanning the QR code on their smartphones at the entrance. A er selecting items for purchase, the smartphone camera is used to read the barcode of the product, and the customer pays via credit card or through e-money services that have been set up in advance.

Via this system, stores can reduce the number of sta ers working at cash registers and focus manpower on stocking shelves and keeping stores clean.

Requiring fewer sta ers makes it easy to operate during later nighttime hours, times for which it’s di cult to secure manpower.

Because customers use their smartphones to make payments, the system does not require the installation of special self-checkout registers, making it easier for small stores to take advantage of the system.

e group is already providing the system to seven shops.

An NTT store for employees has transitioned to unmanned operations with the system having reduced the number of sta ers, allowing it to extend business hours. Consequently, sales have increased and pro ts have improved signi cantly.

Based on the purchasing data of customers, arti cial intelligence can analyze such factors as the number of items in stock and the weather, and advise the store on the appropriate amount of items to order.

It is also expected to send noti cations on which items are selling well — something that could likely lead to a reduction of food loss — as the number of discarded unsold items can be reduced.

Unmanned stores are expanding, driven by the growing need for noncontact services because of the novel coronavirus crisis. FamilyMart Co., a major convenience store chain, has partnered with Japan Post Group to open stores within post o ces nationwide, and East Japan Railway Co. has also introduced unmanned shops at its station buildings.

NTT Group is focusing on expanding its business for corporate customers by utilizing its expertise in the telecommunications business, as its xed-line phone business is shrinking amid the growth of mobile phones and a declining population. (July 22)