SANTA ANA, Calif. — QuickEats Close Convenience, an autonomous convenience store developed by Aramark, opened to the public in Greenwood & McKenzie’s luxury apartment community, Nineteen01, in Santa Ana, Calif.
QuickEats Close Convenience uses computer vision cameras and sensors to create a fully automated, frictionless, self-guided shopping experience.
Shoppers download the QuickEats Close Convenience app, scan the QuickEats Close Convenience app at the store entrance and conduct their shopping. As customers grab items off the shelves, the app adds the items to its shopping cart. When customers finish shopping, they exit the store. The app charges shoppers the total amount to their digital wallet and receive an emailed receipt. There are no checkout lines or payment terminals.
“We first launched QuickEats in March for our tenants at Nineteen01, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Jim McKenzie, general partner of real estate investment and asset management firm Greenwood & McKenzie, Tustin, Calif. “Our tenants were able to social distance while buying necessities without having to leave the property. By partnering with Aramark, a global leader in food and facilities management and the creator of QuickEats Close Convenience, and utilizing AWM Frictionless technology, we are able to offer consumers a fast, easy and safe shopping experience.”
To develope QuickEats Close Convenience, Aramark partnered with AWM, an AI and computer vision company with a suite of retail solutions, to use its AWM Frictionless system, which uses deep learning algorithms and high-definition cameras throughout the store to track traffic and detect when customers interact with products. The consumer is free to shop without constraints while the technology learns from the shopper to ensure the store is adding more of what they want and less of what they don't.
“In today's environment, QuickEats Close Convenience offers customers a truly autonomous shopping experience that is safe, convenient and contactless, simply by downloading the app and swiping their smart phone,” said Gary Crompton, president of Aramark Business Dining. “We are excited to partner with Greenwood & McKenzie in delivering this innovative concept to their tenants and look forward to opening the store to the broader Santa Ana community.”
The c-store features a variety of fresh and specialty items such as Pressed Juicery juices, coconut water, grab-and-go sandwiches, cheese plates and fruit as well as assorted beverages. In addition, it offers household items such as cleaning products, toilet paper, dog food and other goods.
The QuickEats Close Convenience app is available for download in the iOS and Android app store. The store is open to the public from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Plans are underway for tenants, who currently have access to the store from 7:00am to 10:00pm, to have 24-hour service.
Philadelphia-based Aramark provides convenience, foodservice, facilities management and uniforms to educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, healthcare providers, destinations, cultural attractions and municipalities in 19 countries.
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