Chinese technology giant Tencent has opened up its first-ever convenience store in Shanghai, which will be run by WeChat instead of humans.
A WeChat shop inside the Mixc mall in Minhang District features a convenience store without cashiers or even cash. Customers simply have to scan a QR code on WeChat to enter the shop, pick up the items they want to buy and scan it before leaving. The final scan will automatically detect the item and tally up the purchase.
In order to use the shop, the customers need to have a verified WeChat account that has a bank account linked to it.
The WeChat store which was dubbed as "We Life" will only be open until February 4. WeChat promised that the concept will return in the future with greater features like facial recognition. The shop reportedly received 30,000 visitors just over the first weekend.
This is not the first time Chinese customer experience cashierless convenience store. It can be recalled that Amazon Go launce in 2016 a number of unmanned shops like BongoBox and Moby Mart. Last July 2017, Alibaba also opened up its cashier-free supermarket named the Tao Café in Hangzhou.
