JUXTA, a global technology company and micro convenience retail store provider, is poised to revolutionize the retail landscape with the launch of the fully equipped, pre-assembled, autonomously operated JUXTA Nomad. Created to support clients in the rapidly expanding EV charging sector, the solution can be fully installed and operational within 12 hours, enabling drivers and passengers to purchase food and drinks while waiting for their vehicles to charge.
JUXTA is a US-based start-up formed in 2022 by Vontier, a global industrial tech firm, which incorporates Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a supplier of fueling and convenience store equipment.
What is the mission behind JUXTA Nomad?
Commenting on JUXTA, Om Shankar, JUXTA Co-founder and CEO, said: “JUXTA was born to deliver a tech-driven step change in the micro-retail landscape. Our mission iFs to support station operators transitioning from hydrocarbon fuel stations to electric vehicle charging points and collaborate with established retail brands to extend their presence beyond fuel pumps by adding value to the charging station experience and driving top-line growth.”
“While there are other players in the autonomous retail ecosphere, JUXTA’s offer is unique, as it is the only turnkey store on the market that does not require complex integrations. Our Nomads are also exclusively targeted at the micro convenience retail landscape and have been specifically designed, developed, and trialed over an eighteen-month period to provide multiple benefits for electric vehicle charging operators,” Om Shankar further commented.
“EV players have always known that they have to solve the retail challenge on their sites, but until now, there has been no immediate solution – JUXTA provides that solution. The JUXTA Nomad is the world’s most technologically advanced walk-in vending machine. All our customers need to do is take delivery, connect to electricity power, stock the shelves, cut the ribbon and then walk away, leaving the Nomad to start retailing immediately,” Om said.
What does JUXTA Nomad bring to the retail industry?
Solving the labor challenge
The autonomous nature of the JUXTA Nomad removes operator dependency on fixed human labor, eradicating the challenge of finding and retaining staff that blights the retail sector.
With no requirement to accommodate staff or a counter, optimum space is devoted to stock within the 264 sq ft Nomad interior. Coupled with shelving and presentation units, the expanse enables clients to stock between 500 and 600 fast-moving, high-margin items.
“The JUXTA Nomad offers the most profitable per square foot retail format in the world. Each Nomad also provides customers with a comprehensive suite of real time data, enabling them to optimize their retail strategy and precision-target their customers by stocking only high-demand items to reduce waste and enhance profitability,” Om Shankar further commented.
App-free access
While waiting for their vehicles to charge, drivers and passengers can enjoy the quick and convenient retail experience. With no need to download an app or register for membership, shoppers can gain access to the JUXTA Nomad with the touch of a debit or credit card, whether carried physically or stored digitally on their smartphone’s wallet or smartwatch.
Once inside the store, clients can select from a range of snacks, sandwiches, hot drinks, and fresh fruit, or select larger items for dinner at home later – whatever the retailer chooses to stock depending on each Nomad’s location and client purchase data. For example, operators of Nomads positioned by remote EV charging points far from any urban conurbation could prioritize drinks and snacks to be consumed by drivers as they wait for vehicles to charge.
Operators of Nomads located by EV charging stations closer to or within towns and cities could choose to stock larger items, like readymade meals, for shoppers to purchase and consume when they return to their homes. Inside the Nomad, shelf and cabinet sensors detect when an item is picked, and an array of cameras will anonymously identify by whom.
The information is combined in the cloud to create a digital basket for each client. If a family or group of shoppers enter the store, JUXTA’s AI-driven tech will collate their purchases.
Where legislation permits, JUXTA’s tech will enable compliant retail of age-restricted items like alcohol or cigarettes. Contained within specific age-verified fridges and dispensers, restricted items will only be released after cameras have confirmed the purchaser is of appropriate age.
The groundbreaking technology will also have the scope to request and verify IDs, such as driving licenses, to confirm the purchaser’s age if necessary. Customers can verify their purchased items on a large touch screen before they exit the store. However, if they prefer to minimize their shopping time, they can walk straight out with their purchases, entrusting JUXTA’s technology to record their purchases and charge their credit or debit card.
Benefits beyond the charging station
Whilst JUXTA was born to service the EV sector, the firm’s Nomads can offer multiple benefits to other sectors. While the units require an electricity supply, they don’t need to be connected to external water supply as in-store water reservoirs are used for hot drinks.
A JUXTA Nomad can be installed virtually anywhere within 12 hours. Potential locations include hospital car parks, festivals, campsites, tourist attractions and college campuses. Nor is the internal layout of the JUXTA Nomads limited solely to retailing typical convenience store items. The format can stock whatever the retailer wishes, even camping supplies.
JUXTA developed Nomads to allow retailers free rein to brand the offer inside and outside the store. Responsibility for maintenance, cleaning and restocking lies with the operator, with JUXTA’s AI and camera tech able to identify and report any hygiene issues, like spillages.
Depending on how far apart they are geographically dispersed, a single employee should be able to maintain 8 to 12 JUXTA Nomads daily. Access to multiple suppliers can be granted to facilitate the delivery of items such as daily newspapers, milk and fresh fruit and vegetables.
JUXTA has successfully proven the efficacy of the hardware and software that underpins its transformative retail offer to the EV charging sector and beyond. The firm has concluded a trial of its first autonomous Nomad in North Carolina and confirmed four further customer Nomads in the US, which will be fully operational later this year. JUXTA is also in advanced negotiations with customers in Europe, where it will introduce its first Nomads in 2024.
