Michigan-based 365 Retail Markets has launched PicoCooler Vision, a large-capacity smart cooler that uses automatic product recognition to create an accurate and secure grab-and-go shopping experience.

These capabilities enhance the unattended convenience service options available to consumers in semi-public locations historically addressed by traditional vending machines.

Vending machines have long been a food service operator’s only vehicle to provide consumers with refreshments in a location’s remote corners or when a cafeteria is not accessible. While able to reduce the chance of theft, consumer desire to make a purchase is hindered by poor selection with spirals limiting options to small, shelf-stable merchandise and a cumbersome checkout.

With PicoCooler Vision, five spacious shelves support capacity needs for high volume locations while allowing for a larger product assortment in varying sizes and quantities. In the same footprint as a vending machine, fresh food and beverages can be merchandised together in a single self-contained storefront to satisfy consumers and increase transaction size.

A combination of computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) ensures consumers are charged for exactly what they take from the smart cooler. There is no need to scan or vend. Consumers can freely shop the shelves, as they would in a traditional store. The cashless payment method used to unlock PicoCooler Vision is billed automatically for the consumer’s purchases, making a true grab-and-go shopping experience. With a higher degree of confidence in the transaction, operators can reach consumers in transient locations with a wider variety of refrigerated snack choices.

“With workplace and campus dining needs evolving to 24/7 availability, operators need to rapidly adapt their services to meet demand across several key business channels,” said Boris Amegadjie, chief product officer for 365 Retail Markets. “Healthcare, hospitality and higher education are three emerging industries clamouring for more convenience. We see PicoCooler Vision as ideal to close the gap and bring a fresh perspective to product selection and seamless, secure self-checkout like never before.”

PicoCooler Vision extends the smart portfolio from 365 into a second computer vision and AI led offering. Unlike other industry offerings, merchandising PicoCooler Vision is not constrained by RFID tagging, calibrating shelves or vendor product library limitations. Operators can sell what fits by simply adding it to the planogram.

“365 is seeing smart coolers and cabinets replacing vending machines in droves because of the sales uplift operators have been able to capture,” said Amegadjie. “Operators have reported revenue of up to 12x that of a traditional vending machine, because of the higher value merchandise and frictionless consumer experience these provide.”

PicoCooler Vision (365retailmarkets.com/picocooler) is available for immediate purchase in the USA and Canada.

Founded in 2008, 365 (www.365retailmarkets.com) provides self-service technologies for food service operators including end-to-end integrated SaaS software, payment processing and point of-sale hardware. The company’s technology autonomously powers food retail spaces at corporate offices, manufacturing and distribution facilities, and more. Its technology includes a growing suite of frictionless smart-stores, micro markets, vending, catering and dining point-of-sale options.