Systematic Review of Cashierless Stores (Just Walk Out Stores) Revolutionizing The Retail

Abstract

The paper aims to examine the evolving retail sector in recent years, specifically how digitalisation and technological innovations have transformed it. All actors have had to adapt to remain competitive. Notably, a new innovation in the retail sector, namely the checkout-free or cashierless store, emerged in 2018. Systematic literature is relied upon to achieve the study's objectives. The significance of this study lies in the use of multiple IT tools such as AI, cameras, sensors, and self-organising shelves to replace human intervention in the retail sector. Globally, several startup companies have developed this new unmanned solution, and Amazon Go stands out as one of the most well-known among them. The primary objective of this pioneering concept is to enhance efficiency by saving time and reducing queues. The aim is to enable customers to enter and exit the store with minimal human contact as quickly as possible. This paper presents the recent trend of the cashierless concept, its evolution, and proliferation. A systematic literature review and data analysis from the Crunchbase Database were conducted. The findings demonstrate that this recent concept is altering both consumers’ purchasing behaviours and companies’ business models. This paper provides novel perspectives and insights into the wider literature on cashierless concepts and smart retail in the context of digital business.