Hong Kong International Airport has opened its inaugural autonomous convenience store - travelwell.
Spanning 80 square meters, the store aims to provide passengers with a smooth shopping experience, featuring contactless grab-and-go purchases of items such as packaged food, souvenirs, beverages, and travel necessities.
Touted as a "groundbreaking development in travel retail," the store open 24/7 is situated at the Sky Bridge entrance, near Gate 24.
Leveraging state-of-the-art IoT sensing technology, travelwell monitors customers' movements and shopping behaviors, automatically identifying the products they pick up and eliminating the need for checkout lines.
HKIA claims that the store - in partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail Asia - "reinvents airport shopping, solidifying HKIA's status as a trailblazer in travel retail."
The travelwell concept is simple:
1. Customers tap their credit card at the entrance to access the store
2. IoT sensing technology tracks their movement and shopping behaviour, automatically detecting chosen items
3. When customers are ready to exit, the sensor identifies purchased items and charges their credit card accordingly
4. If desired, customers can print a receipt at the store's exit
Alby Tsang, Head of Retail and Advertising at Airport Authority Hong Kong, remarked: "Employing breakthrough technologies, we offer passengers a one-stop shop for pre-flight essentials and last-minute purchases. This is just another way HKIA continues to lead travel retail innovation and redefine airport shopping experiences."
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