Will Zippin a Checkout-Free C-store Begin the Decline of Fast Food Restaurants

Customer migration and customer count declines have created the undercurrent of C-level discontent and turnover at many national chain restaurants.  Things may not be getting much better for the restaurant sector as other retail food sectors are evolving much faster than most within the restaurant sector according Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma WA based Foodservice Solutions®

Most regular reader of this blog have read about, visited, or understand the threat that Cashier-less convenience-store Amazon Go has become to the restaurant sector.  Well now is not the time to sit back and rest if you are running a chain restaurant according to Johnson.  Recently Zippin launched a “checkout-free” software platform that enables retailers to deploy frictionless shopping. How are you reducing your labor cost? 

 Zippin is a San Francisco-based startup. They have a concept store in the South of Market (SoMA) neighborhood to showcase its automated shopping technology in a real-life retail environment. It will be open to the public for limited hours during the week beginning in mid-September. Think fresh food fast.

The new store follows a wave of retailers and technology firms utilizing new technologies to address checkout speed and consumer convenience. Food chains such as Fairway Market are experimenting with “line-free checkouts,” and Anderson, Ind.-based convenience-store chain Ricker's as regular readers of this blog know announced recently that it is rolling out frictionless checkout technology in its 58 convenience stores in Indiana with Salt Lake City-based software provider Skip.

Zippin CEO Krishna Motukuri  stated “Consumer frustration with checkout lines is driving a tidal wave of demand among retailers and real-estate owners keen to provide a frictionless retail experience,"  “With annual sales of grocery stores, convenience stores and quick-serve restaurants totaling nearly $1.6 trillion in the U.S. alone, we believe there is a sizable market opportunity for us to pursue.”

Johnson asks; is your company evolving its business model? Does your restaurant operation and food sales platform look more line 1980, 2,000, or 2,015?  Does your business model and retail offering look more line yesterday than tomorrow you might soon become of the retailers closing more units than opening them.  

Zippin's patent-pending approach uses AI, machine learning and visual cognition technology that “brings an end to waiting in line,” the company said. It does not use self-scanners, and it lets shoppers enter, select their purchases and walk out. The secure Zippin platform can be deployed by any retailer wanting to offer autonomous, checkout-free shopping, it said. Once again I ask how long do your customers wait in line or the drive-thru?  Who is looking at your throughput other than your customers?

Is it time you offered more meals, meal components, and beverages that can be mix and matched into a perfect family meal for a family of one or a family of 21?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.