Stuttgart University students and staff get fast and frictionless REWE To Go smart store at S-Bahn station
REWE Group has opened its 23rd REWE To Go smart store, situated at the Stuttgart University S-Bahn station in Germany.
This serves the university's Pfaffenwaldring campus in the Vaihingen district.
In a LinkedIn post, Mehmet Tözge, Director Smart Store Development at Lekkerland SE, said: "Customer preferences have changed. End consumers want to shop 24/7 and quickly. We develop smart stores to meet the evolving expectations of end consumers.”
The store is equipped with smart fridges from Reckon.ai. Weighing in at around 25 square metres in size, it offers more than 130 items, including sandwiches, wraps, salads, sweets, snacks such as chips, drinks, coffee specialties and tobacco products.
Customers scan a cashless means of payment at a smart fridge terminal. After that, they can take products. Weight sensors and computer vision cameras record which products have been removed. The amount due is automatically debited from the scanned means of payment.
In addition, there is the option of selecting products at smart vendings with touch displays and then receiving them via the output compartment. This is used in particular for tobacco products and alcoholic products. Age verification by scanning an identity card or driver's licence ensures compliance with youth protection regulations.
"We're enabling 24/7 autonomous retail - fast, frictionless, and future ready. We're proud to be the strategic partner behind the technology making this unattended experiences as easy as possible," says Ana Pinto, CEO at Reckon.ai.
Gallery
Gallery, which specialises in building concession and retail experiences with a focus on offering convenience, simplifying transactions and blending into environments, recently opened a new Amazon Just Walk Out technology store on a US university campus.
Garrett Buchholz, Account Executive at Gallery, said: “Excited to share that we have successfully installed another Amazon Just Walk Out Market at George Washington University - our fourth JWO store on campus. It’s always rewarding to bring innovative, seamless retail experiences to life, and this project was no exception. Huge thanks to our incredible partners who made this collaboration smooth and impactful from start to finish.”
He added: “These autonomous markets aren’t just convenient - they’re redefining how students, staff, and visitors interact with food and retail on campus. We’re proud to be part of the future of campus innovation. On to the next one!”
2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS
Autonomous stores will be a key focus area at our sister title RTIH’s 2025 Innovation Awards.
The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”
He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”
“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”
Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.
For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.
