Iberian fuel station network Galp has opened its first contactless convenience store on a forecourt in Lisbon in Portugal, enabling customers to select food, snacks, beverages and non-perishable goods from the shelves and leave without needing to scan their purchases or wait in line to use a checkout.
The autonomous store is fitted with a network of cameras and sensors that detect the products selected along with software that creates a virtual shopping bag for each customer, monitors their purchases and automatically charges the customer via an app when they leave the store.
Galp is the first fuel station network to install the solution — known as the Plug & Play Autonomous Pod — developed by technology provider Sensei that “allows for ultrafast deployment and maximum flexibility” and can be “fitted and operational within just a few days”.
“This new autonomous pod, which is mobile and street facing, enables us to offer more for people walking by on the street or stopping at the station for food, enabling them to purchase grab-and-go meals, snacks, drinks and other products with the ease and speed that only autonomous technology provides, whilst avoiding the queues caused by fuel purchasers,” Galp’s Teresa Abecasis says.
“We are also eager to capitalise on the data captured through Sensei which will help us make the store increasingly better by implementing a highly efficient restocking operation and offering the most attractive products for each specific location.
“For example; this fully autonomous store will allow for smaller gas stations in lower traffic locations to offer non-fuel products to customers through a profitable operation.”
The store will add support for credit card payments and extend its opening hours to allow 24-hour access soon, Galp says.
Portuguese supermarket chain Continente opened its first contactless store in Lisbon using Sensei’s technology in June 2021.
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