Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
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22 S C T / J U N E 2 0 1 7 S T O R E F R O N T S A machine can do that Retailers are testing an array of tech tools designed to save time and money By Anna Robaton F or some people, the worst part of going to the corner coffee shop for that morning cup of java is the wait. Perhaps the solution is here now, in the form of a robotic café kiosk called Cafe X, which made its debut this year at San Francisco's Metreon shopping center. Cafe X founder Henry Hu happened to notice all those people standing in line, and the 20-something entrepreneur came up with the concept and then made it happen with the help of some $5 million in venture capital. The Cafe X kiosk, encased in acrylic glass, contains coffee-brewing machines that can whip up an Americano, a latte or any other specialty drink in less than a minute. Customers can place their orders using a Cafe X mobile app or on-site at touch screens mounted to the kiosk itself. A six-axis Mitsubishi arm grabs a cup, pumps in syrup (if desired) and delivers the cup to one of the brewing machines. When the drink is ready, it gets sent down a tiny elevator for delivery to the customer. Cafe X is just one example of the way automation is transforming the brick-and-mortar retail experience in general. Startups and well-established retailers alike are adopting automated systems as a means of making shopping more convenient and entertaining. These new systems also hold the promise of greater operational efficiency for the retailer. "I see retailers investing in initiatives aimed at two things: convenience and experience. Technology is one of the avenues to get there," said Melina Cordero, CBRE's head of retail research for the Americas. A chain of convenience stores in Japan called Lawson has similarly taken aim at the store checkout line. This year Lawson teamed up with electronics giant Panasonic to test the Regi- Robo (short for register robots) fully automated checkout system. The system scans customers' groceries, tallies the bill and bags the items without human intervention. Not only does this