Circle K deploys fully frictionless technology at Arizona stores

US-based convenience store chain Circle K, owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, has installed fully frictionless technology at its stores in Arizona.

The move is part of Couche-Tard’s efforts to integrate technologies to enhance the shopping experience for both its customers and staff.

From this week, Circle K’s store in Tempe will use Standard AI’s technology to offer a fully autonomous checkout experience.

A camera network will be set up in the store to associate customers with the products they pick up, working with the store’s existing layout, fixtures, lighting, inventory management systems and visual merchandising plans.

Customers’ purchases will be recorded on the Circle K mobile app, saving time usually consumed by the traditional checkout process.

Circle K is planning to install the technology at more of its Arizona stores over the coming weeks.

The development comes after Couche-Tard developed its first frictionless location in its store on the McGill University campus in Montreal.

Couche-Tard chief technology officer Deborah Hall Lefevre said: “We are continually exploring ways to introduce technology that empowers our teams and shows our commitment to being a leader in retail innovation.

“In Montreal, we built and opened our first frictionless location.

“In Arizona, we are going the next step by retrofitting existing stores with autonomous self-checkout systems to gain further insights into how frictionless technology can both make it easy and save time for our customers and allow our team members to focus on delivering a great experience.

“At all times, the privacy of our customers’ data is our highest priority.”

Couche-Tard recently reported net earnings of $764.4m, or $0.71 to a diluted share, in the first quarter of FY22.

In 2019, Circle K partnered with technology firm Artificial Solutions to use its artificial intelligence development platform, Teneo, to improve its customer experience.

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