This year's CES 2024, with AI as the hottest topic, has become a battleground showcasing various AI applications across industries. The retail sector is also rushing to adopt AI. With global aging populations and declining birth rates exacerbating labor shortages, efficiency improvements, automation, and unmanned operations through AI are being highlighted as one of the solutions.
[Source: Walmart]
Walmart, the American retail giant, took the stage at CES for the second time since 2021, unveiling plans to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experience through AI. Walmart has been actively embracing the adoption of generative AI, such as introducing the chatbot "Factum AI" for price negotiations with suppliers last year. Additionally, they showcased "My Assistant," a generative AI tool that employees can use for tasks like drafting documents and summarizing data.
At this year's CES, Walmart announced plans to integrate generative AI into the product search function of its app. Instead of simply entering brand or product names, users can input specific scenarios or use cases, such as "football watch party" or "help plan my 10-year-old daughter's birthday party," and the app will automatically find relevant products. Furthermore, Walmart plans to apply AI to its grocery delivery service, InHome, to automatically reorder items based on users' consumption habits and preferences.
The cameras at the entrance verify if the payment records match the contents of the shopping carts. [Source: Walmart]
At warehouse-style retail stores like Sam’s Club, they are introducing AI to replace the manual receipt verification process that relied on human resources. Previously, customers experienced unnecessary wait times at the exits while their receipts and cart contents were manually checked for discrepancies as a measure against theft and calculation errors. Now, AI cameras placed at the exits automatically capture images of customers' carts and compare them with payment records. This system is currently being piloted at 10 locations.
Aptronix's unmanned restaurant solution 'RoWok' / Source: Aptronix
A fully unmanned restaurant solution that integrates AI with robotics technology also caught attention. Canada's Appetronix introduced 'RoWok', a fully automated robot restaurant platform. Once pre-prepared ingredients are stocked, everything from cooking to serving is automated as soon as an order is placed. It can store ingredients for up to 350 servings and can cook up to 60 servings per hour, allowing for operation 24 hours a day without on-site staff. RoWok was also recognized with the CES Innovation Award this year.
NextpayMents CEO Ji Kwang-cheol is introducing smart store solutions at the NextPayments booth at Eureka Park CES 2024. Source: IT DongA
Domestic startups also showcased technologies utilizing generative AI to enhance the operational efficiency of small businesses. Retail tech startup NextPayments incorporated generative AI into its smart store solution. The smart store solution encompasses technologies that aid in the digital transformation of offline store operations, including Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, cloud-based integrated ordering and payment solutions, digital signage, and foot traffic analysis solutions.
Ahead of this CES, NextPayments has introduced two new AI assistant features utilizing OpenAI's application programming interface (API). First, the "Order Assistant" is integrated into contactless ordering terminals like table orders. It employs generative AI to facilitate voice orders in various languages.
NextPayments' table order system equipped with the "Order Assistant" feature / Source: IT Donga
NextPayments has integrated the "Store Management Assistant" into its AI data analysis solution. The AI data analysis solution analyzes data such as orders, payments, deliveries, and customer flows collected through intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) technology within the store. The interactive AI assistant, the Store Management Assistant, delivers operational information and suggestions derived from this data analysis, such as new menu development proposals, marketing strategies, and sales predictions, in an easy-to-understand format for small business owners.
NextPayments CEO Ji Kwang-cheol stated, "Small business owners overseas are facing difficulties similar to those in Korea, such as labor shortages and labor costs. We aim to provide a solution that integrates various technologies to address these challenges and enables efficient store operations based on objective data."
Source: IT Donga, Reporter Kwon Taek-kyung, tk@itdonga.com
NEXTPAYNEWS
This year's CES 2024, with AI as the hottest topic, has become a battleground showcasing various AI applications across industries. The retail sector is also rushing to adopt AI. With global aging populations and declining birth rates exacerbating labor shortages, efficiency improvements, automation, and unmanned operations through AI are being highlighted as one of the solutions.
[Source: Walmart]
Walmart, the American retail giant, took the stage at CES for the second time since 2021, unveiling plans to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experience through AI. Walmart has been actively embracing the adoption of generative AI, such as introducing the chatbot "Factum AI" for price negotiations with suppliers last year. Additionally, they showcased "My Assistant," a generative AI tool that employees can use for tasks like drafting documents and summarizing data.
At this year's CES, Walmart announced plans to integrate generative AI into the product search function of its app. Instead of simply entering brand or product names, users can input specific scenarios or use cases, such as "football watch party" or "help plan my 10-year-old daughter's birthday party," and the app will automatically find relevant products. Furthermore, Walmart plans to apply AI to its grocery delivery service, InHome, to automatically reorder items based on users' consumption habits and preferences.
The cameras at the entrance verify if the payment records match the contents of the shopping carts. [Source: Walmart]
At warehouse-style retail stores like Sam’s Club, they are introducing AI to replace the manual receipt verification process that relied on human resources. Previously, customers experienced unnecessary wait times at the exits while their receipts and cart contents were manually checked for discrepancies as a measure against theft and calculation errors. Now, AI cameras placed at the exits automatically capture images of customers' carts and compare them with payment records. This system is currently being piloted at 10 locations.
Aptronix's unmanned restaurant solution 'RoWok' / Source: Aptronix
A fully unmanned restaurant solution that integrates AI with robotics technology also caught attention. Canada's Appetronix introduced 'RoWok', a fully automated robot restaurant platform. Once pre-prepared ingredients are stocked, everything from cooking to serving is automated as soon as an order is placed. It can store ingredients for up to 350 servings and can cook up to 60 servings per hour, allowing for operation 24 hours a day without on-site staff. RoWok was also recognized with the CES Innovation Award this year.
NextpayMents CEO Ji Kwang-cheol is introducing smart store solutions at the NextPayments booth at Eureka Park CES 2024. Source: IT DongA
Domestic startups also showcased technologies utilizing generative AI to enhance the operational efficiency of small businesses. Retail tech startup NextPayments incorporated generative AI into its smart store solution. The smart store solution encompasses technologies that aid in the digital transformation of offline store operations, including Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, cloud-based integrated ordering and payment solutions, digital signage, and foot traffic analysis solutions.
Ahead of this CES, NextPayments has introduced two new AI assistant features utilizing OpenAI's application programming interface (API). First, the "Order Assistant" is integrated into contactless ordering terminals like table orders. It employs generative AI to facilitate voice orders in various languages.
NextPayments' table order system equipped with the "Order Assistant" feature / Source: IT Donga
NextPayments has integrated the "Store Management Assistant" into its AI data analysis solution. The AI data analysis solution analyzes data such as orders, payments, deliveries, and customer flows collected through intelligent Internet of Things (IoT) technology within the store. The interactive AI assistant, the Store Management Assistant, delivers operational information and suggestions derived from this data analysis, such as new menu development proposals, marketing strategies, and sales predictions, in an easy-to-understand format for small business owners.
NextPayments CEO Ji Kwang-cheol stated, "Small business owners overseas are facing difficulties similar to those in Korea, such as labor shortages and labor costs. We aim to provide a solution that integrates various technologies to address these challenges and enables efficient store operations based on objective data."
Source: IT Donga, Reporter Kwon Taek-kyung, tk@itdonga.com