Make your own coffee without waiting – Tech Concept Store No. 2 from FamilyMart’s Smart Innovation

FamilyMart has been actively investing in the tech retail sector, embracing diverse digital technologies to align with social trends and meet evolving consumer demands. In 2016, it launched its digital transformation journey, set up Tech Concept Store No. 1 in 2018, and after breaking the 10 million-member mark digitally this year, FamilyMart announced on October 15 the launch of Tech Concept Store No. 2. Based on the “human-machine collaboration” concept, the store proposes two major initiatives for both staff and customers: “counter labor disaggregation” and “consumer empowerment.” It introduces 11 tech devices and simultaneously tests a new operating model for 24-hour convenience stores.

In response to irreversible trends such as an aging population with fewer children, a shrinking workforce, and a consumer preference for experiential shopping, FamilyMart has continually explored how to use the most suitable technology to solve problems and enhance experiences for both internal (staff) and external (customers). The iterative updates of Tech Stores 1 and 2 serve as key experimental fields for FamilyMart’s transformation into a tech-driven retail business.

Ye Rongting, Chairman of FamilyMart, further explained that Tech Concept Store No. 2 focuses on “human-machine collaboration,” where people and smart devices work together. By connecting customers’ mobile phones with in-store machines, the store offers a new “consumer empowerment” shopping model, creating a more convenient, autonomous, and diverse consumer experience. For staff, it introduces a new operational approach called “counter labor disaggregation.” With newly introduced tech facilities, tasks such as checkout, coffee-making, and microwaving are alleviated, resulting in a brand-new smart store format.

FamilyMart launched its first tech concept store in 2018. After a year and a half of testing, about 60% of the tech devices were found to effectively reduce store labor and shift consumer shopping habits. For example, shoppers choose whether to use their phones for self-checkout or the coffee assistant based on their needs and store crowding. Observations show that busy office workers and digital-native Gen Z (born after 1995) are the main users, accustomed to relying heavily on their phones for daily tasks and valuing efficiency and speed.

Tech Concept Store No. 2 further empowers consumers with a range of smart devices under the “human-machine collaboration” concept, giving them more control over their shopping choices. For instance, with the smart coffee machine, customers can pre-order coffee online and then scan the barcode at the machine to make coffee without staff assistance. Additionally, when the store is crowded, customers can use the self-checkout area with various non-cash payment options like My FamiPay to complete transactions within 10–20 seconds. Customers can collaborate with in-store tech devices via their phones, allowing store employees more time to focus on serving shoppers.