San Diego-based Accel Robotics today announced the impending opening of Valet Market, an autonomous community market offering 1,500 square feet of retail space within Brookfield's luxury high-rise community Vantage Pointe in San Diego's East Village. Designed as a shared pantry for the neighborhood, shoppers at Valet Market will find locally-sourced items, such as produce, baked goods and dairy, alongside everyday convenience items on the store's smart shelves. What customers will not find inside the store is any cashiers or checkout kiosks.
"Valet Market signals a new era in modern convenience that offers community residents 24/7 access to autonomous shopping while serving as a distribution hub for the larger community," said Brandon Maseda, CEO and co-founder of Accel Robotics. "We're enabling a grab-and-go store of the future for a fast, hyper-local shopping experience, all while setting a new standard of service with our Last Step delivery offering."
Customers of Valet Market will be required to download the app and use their phone to check in to the store. Once inside, shoppers can select desired items and walk out without having to wait in line to check out. Advanced technologies including computer vision, shelf-level sensors and artificial intelligence automatically track products as shoppers remove them from the shelves. When exiting the store, a receipt will be delivered promptly to the shopper's mobile device, eliminating the wasted time and hassle of traditional or self-checkout. Last Step, a proprietary delivery solution from Accel Robotics, will provide residents at Vantage Pointe with the added convenience of having items delivered directly to their door in addition to 24/7 access to in-store shopping.
"We're experiencing incredible momentum around delivering autonomous shopping solutions for enterprise customers across the retail sector," Maseda continued. "With Valet Market, we have the opportunity to showcase our next-generation, contactless shopping experience directly to consumers while providing our real estate partners with a cutting-edge, innovative tenant amenity."
Accel aims to build similar markets in apartment buildings around the globe. In addition to Valet Market, Accel Robotics will soon be announcing partnerships with leading U.S. brands and entities, including universities, sports venues, military bases, convenience stores, pharmacies, and fuel stations.
Valet Market is expected to open by late May at 1241 9th Avenue in San Diego's East Village. For more information, visit accelrobotics.com.
