Universities Bringing Autonomous Retail to ‘Shoppers of Tomorrow’

Autonomous retail company Standard AI is expanding its partnership with contract food service management firm Chartwells Higher Education to bring 100 autonomous retail stores to several U.S. universities, including San Jose State University and the University of Houston.

“University students are truly the shoppers of tomorrow,” Christopher Burr, VP of Digital Strategy at Chartwells Higher Education said in a press release on Tuesday (Aug. 30).

“The shift toward autonomous shopping that’s happening today at university campuses will fuel broader expansion of this technology into our neighborhoods and communities. Waiting in line is quickly becoming a relic of the past,” Burr added.

The expanded partnership follows two years of collaboration. The two firms teamed in 2020 to develop a store where university students could have a cashierless experience. Chartwells Higher Education retrofitted an existing retail space and used Standard AI’s autonomous platform to enable students to walk in, select their items, and walk out.

See also: C-Stores Step Up Self-Service Offerings With AI-Powered Tech

Universities are fueling the growth of autonomous retail, according to the release. Chartwells and Standard AI recently collaborated on six new and revamped markets, with the store at The University of Texas at Dallas opening soon.

The first fully-autonomous store in Silicon Valley was opened by Standard AI and Chartwells last year at San Jose State University’s Ginger Market. Within months of going autonomous, the store’s traffic increased 21% and transaction size increased an average of 23%, according to the release.

“We’re now at the watershed moment for autonomous retail: Retailers love the cost savings, support for labor challenges, and ability to accelerate growth. Shoppers love skipping the line, seamless payment options, and transactions in just seconds,” said Jordan Fisher, co-founder and CEO, Standard AI.

“Students in particular love frictionless, autonomous shopping for its speed and simplicity. We’re excited to partner with Chartwells Higher Ed to roll this technology out to more students and faculty and more universities,” Fisher said.