A DIFFERENT STORE

Robert Ilijason was at home with his hungry baby son one night. While he was trying to open the baby food jar, he dropped it on the floor. The nearest open supermarket was 20 minutes away from his house. So he got his son, who was crying very loudly, and drove to the supermarket. While driving, he had the idea of opening Sweden’s first unstaffed store. Now, he owns a 24-hour shop with no cashier. Ilijason sells items like milk, bread, sugar, canned food, diapers, and other products that are usually found in small convenience stores . He doesn’t sell tobacco, medical drugs or alcohol in his store. He receives deliveries at the shop. He puts products on the shelves. Then customers do everything themselves. They need to register for the service and download the app first. To unlock the store’s door they need to use their phones. While they are shopping, they scan everything they buy. Every month they get an invoice and pay it online using their credit cards. He has put six cameras in the store to stop people from stealing from the store. He also gets a text message if the front door stays open for longer than eight seconds or if someone tries to break it open. He says he has never had any problems since the store opened in January. Customers like the speed of the service in store. Raymond Arvidsson says he did his shopping in less than a minute. “No queues,” he said “Quick in, quick out. I like it.” Tuve Nilsson, age 75, said there were many more shops in the town when he moved there in 1976. He liked Ilijason’s idea and the new store. He thinks it could be useful for older people living alone. The only problem for him is the technology. He says he doesn’t understand it. Ilijason wants to help. He’s considering ways to unlock the door that wouldn’t need a smartphone app. He’s also thinking about having someone work at the store for a few hours a day. This person can help customers who aren’t comfortable with the modern technology.