USA: Circle K amps autonomous checkout with new Phoenix store
The retailer has expanded its partnership with Standard AI to open a new location that is entirely autonomous.
Circle K celebrated the opening of a new autonomous store in Phoenix, Arizona. The location implements AI and computer-vision technology provided by its partner, Standard AI, to enhance its retail operations through a frictionless offer for customers.
The retailer has implemented its partner’s EasyWay technology, which lets customers walk in, shop as normal, and tap the Circle K Innovation app at Standard AI’s tablet-based stations when they’re ready to leave. Receipts are sent to their phones within minutes.
This method of shopping not only enhances the customer experience, but it also enables employees to step away from the checkout counter and focus on customer service, managing the store, and more.
The partnership between Circle K and Standard AI began back in 2020, when the provider partnered up with Alimentation Couche-Tard to start implementing its technology across the retail chain for pilot tests.
“Autonomous checkout is one of our innovation priorities that enable us to make our customers’ lives a little easier every day. We thoroughly evaluated the market and realised that working with Standard presented significant benefits since they could integrate with our existing systems and retrofit our existing stores,” said Magnus Tägtström, Head of Global Digital Innovation at Alimentation Couche-Tard, when the agreement was announced.
The latest store is the second opening after announcing the partnership. The first store was opened back in October of last year, in the city of Tempe as a retrofitted store.
