Unmanned Convenience Store: Concept to Launch
Project
Designed, built, and launched Singapore’s first Korean-themed unmanned convenience store (Shine Korea @ JTC Summit) in under 10 months. Partnered with Toshiba (system integrator), JR East (innovation partner), Touch-To-Go (tech provider), and Shine Korea (retailer) to deliver a fully operational, end-to-end retail solution.
The Problem
Conventional convenience stores depend heavily on frontline staff, but manpower constraints and high turnover have made 24/7 operations costly and inefficient. This project seeks to solve these challenges by piloting an unmanned convenience store that reduces reliance on frontline staff while maintaining a seamless shopping experience for customers.
Timeline
10 months
Completion Date
Feb 2025
Role
Product Owner
Scope of Work
UX Research, UX/UI Design, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Merchandising, Marketing, Operations, Model Validation
Goal & Objectives
How might we design, build, and launch an unmanned convenience store that addresses manpower shortages while delivering a seamless, trustworthy shopping experience for customers?
Evaluate operational and technical requirements for running a fully unmanned store in Singapore’s retail context.
Understand user expectations and concerns around cashier-less shopping, including trust, payment ease, and store navigation.
Design an end-to-end system integrating hardware, software, and user experience for a smooth, autonomous retail journey.
Deliver a working pilot in under 10 months through partnerships with technology providers, system integrators, and retailers.
The Process
1. Ideation and Scoping
Defined the problem (manpower shortages) and explored use cases for unmanned retail.
2. Partnerships and Integration
Brought together Toshiba (system integrator), JR East (innovation partner), Touch-To-Go (tech provider), and Shine Korea (retailer).
3. Design & Build
Developed store layout, integrated payment/entry systems, and ensured seamless customer experience
4. Pilot and Operations
Launched Singapore’s first Korean-themed unmanned store in 10 months, transitioned from pilot testing to live daily operations
1. Ideation and Scoping
Researched manpower challenges in Singapore’s retail sector and studied successful unmanned store models in Japan to assess feasibility and define the pilot concept.
Research
Identified manpower shortages and high labor costs as a key challenge for Singapore’s retail sector.
Studied successful unmanned retail models in Japan (e.g. JR East’s Touch-To-Go stores) to assess feasibility in the Singapore context.
Scoped potential applications, selecting a Korean-themed convenience store pilot (Shine Korea) as a high-visibility testbed.
Defined success metrics around reducing staff dependency, customer adoption, and operational efficiency.
2. Partnerships and Integration
Brought together technology providers, system integrators, and retail partners to co-develop and implement the unmanned store solution.
Key Steps
Partnered with Toshiba as system integrator to connect hardware and software components.
Collaborated with JR East as innovation partner to adapt proven unmanned retail models from Japan.
Integrated Touch-To-Go’s cashier-less payment technology for seamless transactions.
Worked with Shine Korea as retail partner to pilot the first Korean-themed unmanned store in Singapore.
3. Design & Build
Developed the store concept, integrated systems, and ensured a seamless customer experience from entry to checkout.
Key Steps
Designed store layout and customer journey to work without frontline staff.
Integrated access control (entry gates), product recognition, and payment systems.
Coordinated installation of IoT devices, sensors, and backend systems.
Conducted internal testing to ensure operational stability before launch.
4. Pilot and Operations
Launched and transitioned the unmanned store from pilot stage into full operations daily.
Operations
Opened Singapore’s first Korean-themed unmanned convenience store at JTC Summit.
Tracked adoption, user feedback, and operational efficiency in real-world conditions.
Iterated store processes to improve speed, reliability, and user trust.
Reflections
Cross-sector collaboration was critical — bringing together system integrators, tech providers, and retailers ensured the pilot moved from concept to reality within a concise 10-month timeline.
User trust and adoption remain key — while the technology proved viable, building confidence in cashier-less retail requires ongoing refinement of the customer experience.