DECEMBER - 2022retailtechinsights.com9staff member is present only during the busiest hours of the day when the number of shoppers in the store is at its height, whereas the store is automated during the quieter morning and evening hours. Rimi, too, is considering the "unstaffed store" model, but for the time being, only at a conceptual level because, first of all, it is important to ascertain whether shoppers in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are ready for such a service. Even the most innovative technology is only an ancillary tool. The most important element is still people. Moreover, it is hard to adapt this concept, which works well in small shops with a small product offering, to hypermarket format stores, and therefore we await new technological solutions that will make it possible to also introduce it in bigger stores.Technologies for Saving and SustainabilityHowever, technologies can also help shoppers to make considerable savings. Shoppers increasingly appreciate self-service options that allow them to control their shopping. For example, instead of filling up a big grocery basket and getting an unpleasant surprise at the checkout in the form of the total bill for their shopping, shoppers can use a mobile scanner and keep track of the cost of the products in their basket on an item by item basis. Mobile and self-service scanners, as well as e-shopping, enable shoppers to control the total cost of their shopping and plan whether they can afford all the items they wish to buy.Globally, various planning tools are also becoming increasingly popular, which not only help you to save money but also solve long-standing sustainability issues. The majority of food waste is generated by households - families in the Baltic States waste over EUR 300 worth of food every year. In response to this challenge, among the solutions offered by Rimi to shoppers is the Empty Your Fridge app, developed in collaboration with the Danish start-up Plant Jammer, where an AI chef concocts a recipe from products that have got "stuck" in the fridge. Overall, the collaboration between the retail sector and start-ups is a major step in the development of technological solutions. Rimi is now in its third year of involvement in the Future Hub sustainability accelerator programme, which has devised solutions such as the aforementioned Empty Your Fridge app. As of now, at a conceptual level, work is also ongoing on the development of sustainable packaging for e-commerce and a solution to encourage shoppers to consume more fruit and vegetables as part of their daily diet. Another great example of how digitalization can help to cut food waste is the functionality introduced in the Rimi app, where users can see great value discounted final-day products on sale in their nearest stores.Although sustainability challenges are among the most important globally, and the European Union has set ambitious targets for reducing CO2 emissions, there are not that many technologies that can help to achieve them. Therefore, our doors are always open to start-ups offering innovative solutions to sustainability and retailing challenges.Only Today Does the Future Seem Like Science FictionWith the long-term in mind, it is likely that Q-Commerce or quick shopping solutions are going to become increasingly important. Already extremely popular in the Asian market, this growing trend reflects the desire of a lot of retail customers to receive their goods immediately. They consider even a waiting time of one day to be too long. One way to meet demand from customers in a hurry is fast deliveries from e-stores with the help of digital solutions, as well as e-shop lockers from which customers can collect their orders without the involvement of store staff. All over the world, technology companies are testing drone, robot, and self-driving car solutions, and in all probability, they will all be integrated into every retail in the not-too-distant future. Most likely, we will encounter certain obstacles, including climate-related challenges. For example, delivery robots could find it hard to traverse snow drifts or large puddles, and at the present street, infrastructure cannot facilitate these future technologies for every member of the public. However, our experience already tells us that different challenges and disruptions to the traditional order of things compel the rapid development of technologies, that's one positive outcome of various crises. This is where technology plays a key role, with stores and warehouses introducing various tools for time planning and keeping track of product "sell by" dates
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