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Belgian technology campus pioneers Selecta’s automated store

Selecta's unattended Foodies Shop & Go store provided a reliable 24/7 solution for Corda Campus, home to 250 companies.

Selecta's Foodies Shop & Go store provides unattended retail at Corda Campus in Belgium. Image courtesy of Selecta Group.

June 22, 2022 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Corda Campus, a global technology campus in Hasselt, Belgium, struggled to find a reliable on-site food offering for the 250 or so companies based at its campus. As a technology organization, the campus felt a need to offer the most technologically capable solution.

This past spring, the campus introduced a modern, fully automated store offering fresh food with an automated payment process. After scanning a credit or debit card or using the app upon entering the Foodies Shop & Go store, users are able to pick their favorite food items and just walk out.

The installation marked the first fully automated concept for Selecta Group, the Switzerland-based route service provider of convenience services. At Corda Campus the unattended concept is customized with a Foodies hot steam food counter, a bakery unit and a "We proudly serve Starbucks" coffee corner.

Technology for a tech campus

Rag Degens

"The reason for us to open this shop is because of its innovative character, the added value for our community and the possibilities for the future," Raf Degens, general director of Corda Campus, said in an email exchange with Vending Times. "As an innovation and technology campus, we follow the latest trends in the different areas.

"The store is always open and it's open to everyone," Degens said. "You don't need to work at Corda to shop and go to the store. However, the fact that people who work at Corda can enter the store at any time is a big advantage. You don't need to worry anymore about lunch or a late meeting since you can always buy something fresh and tasty at the store. Plus, the innovative character fits perfectly at Corda."

Selecta's Christian Schmitz, CEO, and Joe Plumeri, executive chairman, cut the ribbon for the Foodie's Shop & Go.

24/7 solution needed

The campus had no manned store when Selecta began discussions about having a fully automated store.

"There was no manned store located at Corda Campus when we started conversations about the Foodies Shop & Go," Verena Eberle, global project leader at Selecta, said in an email interview. "A service for delivery of groceries had previously been tested on site, however, this was closed already at the time.

"One of the main consumer needs is the instant availability of the food and beverages, 24/7 and on-demand, which we can offer through our Foodies Shop & Go," Eberle said. "The Foodies Shop & Go is complementary to other offers on the campus, for example while the café is closed in the afternoon, or for late lunch or dinner to-go, to respond to the increasingly flexible schedules of our consumers."

Tracking sensors, video surveillance

Teaming with with Instant Systems AB, a Sweden based manufacturer of unattended retail customer facing solutions, Selecta deployed tracking sensors that recognize which products are taken and monitors shopper movement while protecting privacy.

"These sensors do not take pictures, but only display the consumers as a dot on the map of the store," Eberle said. "In addition, we do have standard surveillance cameras in the store to prevent theft or vandalism, like they are used in many shops."

Should a guest question a charge, the staff can review the video footage.

"Only if necessary, this footage will be used for an additional step of human verification to take place in the background, to ensure every consumer is charged for what he or she takes, while fully respecting the privacy and data security rights of our consumers," Eberle said.

Verena Eberle

The installation of the equipment and furniture, including construction of the surrounding walls and floor, as well as the final calibrations of the technology, took about a month and a half, Eberle said.

A versatile solution

Selecta believes the concept will have application at other customer locations.

"One of the advantages of the Foodies Shop & Go concept is that it can be deployed at a public or semi-public location: The combination of entry with a credit or debit card or through the app ensures the necessary security while offering the consumers the convenience of selecting as many products as they like without scanning, and just walking out when they have all they need," said Jan-Marck Vrijlandt, chief commercial officer at Selecta.

"With such a new concept, foreseeing the consumer behavior correctly, and building our technology and the user interfaces around their expected natural behavior and needs, is a challenge — but also what makes it so exciting," said Vrijlandt. "Our key objective is to make this as hassle-free and convenient as possible, so we will continuously learn and further improve our concept as needed, based on their experiences and feedback."

Vrijlandt was not sure about the return on investment at the time of this report.

"The trial will show us the level of consumer appreciation and commercial results, but you can imagine that such investments are always based on a longer term partnership with our clients," he said.

Jan-Marck Vrijlandt

"Businesses and locations where the Foodies Shop & Go can offer significant added value certainly include public or semi-public locations, due to the security it offers compared to scan-and-go solutions," Vrijlandt said. "The convenient and hassle-free experience for consumers in general makes it an appealing concept for a large range of organizations."

Degens at Corda Campus, meanwhile, is happy with the customer response.

"Everyone is very excited to try out the store," he said. "We collect a lot of feedback on the products and the experience. It's a great match with our campus."

Photos courtesy of Selecta Group.