French grocery retailer Carrefour has opened its second fully AI-powered microstore in Belgium.
The new BuyBye store, which is located at the Ibis hotel Brussels Midi station, will offer customers an autonomous shopping experience available at all hours of the day.
The microformat BuyBye stores use smart refrigerators which can be opened by customers with their bank card or payment app.
Shoppers choose their items, which are automatically recognised, weighed, and paid for using smart technology.
Arnaud Lesne, director of innovation & partnerships at Carrefour Belgium, announced the opening of the new BuyBye store on Linkedin.
“We are bringing the future of retail to the heart of Brussels: a seamless, autonomous, and 24/7 shopping experience driven by cutting-edge AI,” wrote Lesne. “It’s a proud moment to see our vision for smooth travel retail expanding across borders.”
The store was launched in partnership with technology firm Reckon.ai and Accor Group, the parent company of Ibis.
The company launched its first six meter squared micro BuyBuy store at the Ibis Rossy CDG in Paris last July.
In May this year, Carrefour opened its third AI-powered BuyBuy store near Mons, Belgium.
The store uses AI-powered autonomous “grab-and-go” technology which allows customers to buy products without checking out, with items being charged automatically.
The store’s technology is equipped with artificial vision cameras and weight sensors to track inventory in real time.
The store offers over 250 essential products, including breakfast options with fresh fruit, lunch, dinner and personal care items, available 24/7 and supplied by the Carrefour Market Casteau team.
