The media commented that there is no convenience store: If you want to get fire, you must first go to “virtual fire”

(Original Title: People's Daily Comments on Lack of Convenience Stores: You Must Go Virtual Before Real Fire) [TechWeb Report] On July 17th, the Overseas Edition of the People's Daily published a commentary article titled "Convenience Stores Are Nonexistent: You Have to Start with Virtual Fire." The article pointed out that the wave of unmanned convenience stores is gaining momentum. However, if a single unmanned convenience store hopes to succeed, it must first establish its presence virtually. On July 10th, the first unmanned convenience store in Shanghai, Binhu Box, was only open for a few days when it became a topic of discussion due to its malfunction during extreme heat, causing the doors to close unexpectedly. Recently, the buzz around unmanned convenience stores has intensified. Following Auchan and RT-Mart, Walmart has also introduced self-service kiosks, while Beijing is not far behind with its own innovations. Despite this growing trend, many challenges remain for these stores to truly thrive. Unmanned convenience stores, as their name suggests, are stores without clerks where customers serve themselves. Fees are automatically deducted upon exit. Naturally, this new form of smart technology has attracted significant interest from investors. Recently, an unmanned convenience store secured over 100 million yuan in Series A funding. However, beneath the surface, several issues lurk. Firstly, there are design flaws in unmanned convenience stores. For instance, the Binhu Box incident highlighted a critical problem: even with air conditioning, the internal temperature reached 40°C, causing chocolates and other perishable items to melt. How can the quality and safety of such products be guaranteed? Secondly, technical gaps exist. Experts note that the check-out area in some stores lacks robust detection capabilities. Unpaid items cannot always be accurately identified, nor does it effectively deter theft. At Amazon’s unmanned store, if more than 20 people are inside or if customers pick items too quickly, the system struggles to track purchases accurately and still relies on human intervention. Finally, there are behavioral habits to consider. Altering consumer behavior takes time. While unmanned stores aim to cater to younger generations within communities, older individuals often prefer traditional shopping experiences. Additionally, setting up and maintaining these stores involve substantial costs, making it unclear whether profits outweigh expenses. People are right to worry that, following past trends in the capital markets, there may be exaggerated hype around this concept. If a bubble forms and bursts, the entire industry could suffer. It would resemble a fleeting success followed by rapid decline, akin to a basket of fruit that spoils quickly. If unmanned convenience stores wish to achieve real success, they must address these concerns to ensure positive user experiences, generate solid returns for investors, and foster long-term industry growth. Should this trend merely be a media-driven fad, driven by blind investment chasing gimmicks, virtual fire will eventually fade, leaving true unmanned stores out of reach. (By Tang Wen) [Image captions: Photos from recent developments in unmanned convenience stores.]

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