The country’s first hybrid smart store opened in Szeged

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 05. 22. 12:11

János Kelemen, the President and CEO of Coop Szeged Zrt., recalled at the handover that they had already started planning the renovation of the store, which has been operating for decades, by looking for a solution to extend the store’s opening hours in a cost-effective way.

In unmanned mode, the store can be used with a phone application. After registering, customers can open the store entrance with the application’s QR code – which is renewed every 15 seconds – and then enter the sales area monitored by a camera system through the door that opens automatically during working hours.

Here, similarly to traditional stores, they can select the products they want to purchase, and then checkout can be started with the QR code. At the self-service checkouts, they can pay with a bank card, and finally, they can open the store door by scanning the code again – the specialist summarized the operation of the store.

He added: if the legislation requires it later, they can also provide the option of cash payment.

János Kelemen emphasized that the security system, assisted by cameras, does not use facial recognition solutions, but only indicates suspicious gestures. Customers can immediately ask for help from the dispatch service, which is available at the touch of a button.

IT solutions help with purchasing and operation. A scale recognizes the type of vegetables and fruits loaded on it, and automatic solutions speed up the ordering of goods. The logistics system necessary for customers to find fresh baked goods continuously even at night has also been developed – the CEO announced.