Shopping in an autonomous business without employees: inside? Two thirds of people in Germany makes this curious. This is shown by the ‘Consumer Barometer’ from the management consultancy KPMG and the EHI trade research institute. About seven out of ten customers: inside who go shopping regularly, can therefore imagine using such shops.
The study is based on a representative survey of under 1000 people aged 18 and over. In younger people, the willingness to use the shops is more pronounced. For customers in urban areas, it is significantly higher than in rural regions. The need is great there.
The number of grocery stores is declining, especially in the country. For residents: shopping inside is therefore often connected with long paths. “In the coming years, autonomous shops could ensure local supply, particularly in rural areas, and counteract the effects of the decline in stationary shops,” says EHI study author Tobias Röding.
Survey: 38 percent feel insecure
There are different concepts of so -called autonomous or smart shops. As a rule, there are no employees: inside. Personnel is only used to clean the sales area or fill up shelves. Often only registered customers have: access inside. Payment is usually made to self -service cash registers.
Some providers rely on the ‘Grab & Go’ format. The items are recorded by camera. Customer: Inside, business can simply leave after purchasing. The payment is automatically debited from the account.
According to the study, autonomous shops are valued for their flexibility and efficiency. Nevertheless, there are reservations. 45 percent of customers are skeptical about the concept, 38 percent feel insecure. Some of the respondents lack social interaction. You find shopping to be impersonal or feel monitored (68 percent each). Others are concerned about the protection of your data (54 percent).
The biggest providers are Aunt Enso and Aunt M
Autonomous businesses have so far been particularly common in the food trade. As far as use is concerned with other industries such as toys or fashion, the customers are more critical. Expert Röding attributes this to the fact that advice plays a more important role here.
According to a study by the Baden-Württemberg Heilbronn university, the number of such business has increased significantly in recent years. There are now several hundred in Germany, most of them in the country.
The largest providers are Aunt Enso, Aunt M and the Tegut subsidiary Teo. Aunt Enso has 64 shops across Germany and a hybrid concept. At certain times, staff is on site. Aunt runs 63 shops in southern Germany. Teo comes at 40 locations in Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.