Lawson opens next-gen store in Tokyo
Convenience store operator Lawson is going digital to boost sales amid a severe labor shortage. It opened a next-generation outlet equipped with state-of-the-art technology with help from telecom giant KDDI.
The store opened on Monday in an office building in central Tokyo, where one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the capital is underway.
At the store, robots cook food and stack shelves. Electronic labels eliminate the need for manual price changes.
Artificial intelligence analyzes customer behavior based on footage from over 20 cameras. The information is used to compile data on hot items and improve efficiency.
Lawson and KDDI -- which acquired a 50-percent stake in the firm last year -- hope such futuristic technologies will give the stores an edge.
Lawson aims to expand use of the new tech and cut the workload by 30 percent at all stores by fiscal 2030.
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