Autonomous POD is a rapidly deployable, 100% autonomous retail format designed for proximity retail. It can be installed indoor (within existing spaces) or outdoor plug-and-play (in prefabricated containers), serving locations such as city centers, transport stations, universities, festivals and fuel stations. The project addresses the need for flexible, lower-cost autonomous retail by leveraging prior technological advances and real-world pilots.
Project at a glance
Focus: Rapidly deployable autonomous retail format (indoor and outdoor) for proximity commerce
Key demonstrators: Outdoor plug-and-play POD; Indoor POD (Galp Allo, Brisa Pombal); Basket Review Terminal; Check-in Terminal with remote configuration; Pre-auth payments (Shift4)
Operation: 24/7 unattended retail with check-in via bank card or Sensei app; indoor and container-based outdoor formats
Primary pilot locations: Algarve; IST (Instituto Superior Técnico); Universidade Católica; Spain (outdoor POD); Galp Allo offices; Brisa Pombal service station
Objectives
- Enable fast deployment of fully autonomous retail in multiple environments (indoor and outdoor)
- Leverage previous autonomous store pilots and technological developments
- Improve sustainability and reduce total project cost by prioritizing indoor formats
- Test and optimize product range and location impact on sales performance
- Enhance customer confidence and payment robustness in unattended 24/7 environments
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What we delivered
What we delivered (or are delivering)
Delivered
Design and dimensioning of outdoor POD modules with structural options such as smart lockers and weather protections, plus customizable exterior design options; real-world testing in multiple locations including Algarve and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), followed by deployment at Universidade Católica (operating 24/7) to test product assortment in a university environment; development and installation of a more functionally and economically sustainable outdoor version in Spain; implementation of two Indoor POD stores at Galp Allo (app-based access) and Brisa Pombal service station (contactless access) in Q2 2024; integration of a Basket Review Terminal in the Pombal indoor POD allowing customers to validate their virtual basket and billing data before exit; UI/UX improvements to the Check-in Terminal with new flows and screens, plus remote configuration and customization (access, tokens, fonts, colors, logos); and deployment of a pre-authorization (pre-auth) payment solution with Shift4 to validate payment methods and pre-hold a client-defined amount.
Metrics / KPIs
Visitors – Brisa Pombal POD +2,500
Basket Review Terminal usage ~80%
Indoor POD openings 2 - Galp Allo and Brisa Pombal
Universidade Católica POD - 24/7 operation
Summary
Autonomous POD delivers a flexible, 24/7 autonomous retail format for indoor and outdoor environments. Following early outdoor pilots, the focus shifted to indoor deployments to increase flexibility and reduce costs. Real-world implementations at universities, offices and service stations validated the format and informed product optimization. Recent enhancements include a Basket Review Terminal to increase billing transparency, remote terminal
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