Electrical control experts integrate automated storage and retrieval system technology to solve retail pain points and launch a seed-round financing.
In the current context where traditional retail is grappling with common pain points such as high labor costs, low shopping efficiency, and persistently high inventory shrinkage rates, a startup project aiming to reshape the offline consumption experience with industrial automation technology is quietly taking root. Led by Wang Huihui, a senior expert in the automation field, the startup team has proposed and is vigorously promoting the "fully enclosed large-scale unmanned retail supermarket" project, attempting to deeply integrate the high - efficiency logic of online e - commerce with the convenience of offline instant access.
The concept of this project stems from the founder Wang Huihui's years of meticulous observation of the retail industry and his profound background in automation technology. As an expert with thirteen years of experience in the automation and robotics fields, Wang Huihui has led multiple projects, including the new energy production line of CATL, the 3C product production line of Foxconn, and the AOI equipment for chip appearance inspection of TSMC.
The wave of intelligentization is sweeping across, and traditional retail is at a turning point in the era of transformation.
As a typical offline retail consumer, he acutely noticed many pain points in traditional supermarkets, such as customers' difficulty in finding products, long queues at the checkout, high work intensity for employees, and numerous constraints on store owners' operations. The existing unmanned retail solutions have failed to achieve large - scale effective implementation, either due to immature technology, persistently high inventory shrinkage rates, or incorrect model positioning. He firmly believes that an offline shopping model focusing on "target - based consumption" and extreme efficiency will be the future trend and is determined to turn this concept into reality using his technical advantages.
The core idea of the project is to establish a fully enclosed unmanned supermarket, whose operation mode is similar to an "offline Taobao Mall". After customers enter by scanning a QR code on their mobile phones, they can directly search for and order target products on the terminal device or their own mobile phones. The system uses an efficient built - in automated warehousing and picking system to quickly deliver the products to the pick - up port, enabling customers to have a smooth experience of "search and get instantly, pay seamlessly". In an ideal state, the shopping time can be compressed to less than three minutes, which is in sharp contrast to the shopping process in traditional supermarkets that often takes up to twenty minutes.
The feasibility and innovation of technology are the keys for this project to break through industry barriers. The project team plans to integrate multiple cutting - edge technologies to build the core system: adopting a high - density three - dimensional warehousing system (such as four - way shuttles) to greatly improve space utilization; using AI visual recognition and path planning to ensure fast and accurate picking; achieving a "grab - and - go" payment experience with an accuracy rate of up to 99.5% through a multi - modal seamless settlement system (integrating vision, weight, and RFID technologies); and supporting it with an intelligent inventory management system for efficient operation. These technical solutions are based on the project team's deep industry accumulation. Their technical resource network covers the entire automation chain from ERP systems, mechanical drawing to AI vision and robotics, providing strong support for the project's technical integration and implementation.
In terms of market prospects, the team is targeting the rapidly growing Chinese instant retail market and precisely positioning in the "offline instant pick - up" niche segment. They believe that in first - and second - tier cities, time - sensitive white - collar workers and family users have an increasingly strong demand for "efficiency" and "convenience" in shopping. This project can precisely meet their core requirements of "quickness" and "laziness". The initial target scenarios are set in high - traffic, high - average - order - value areas such as airports, highway service areas, office buildings, and industrial parks, forming a differentiated complement to traditional supermarkets.
The project's future plans and vision
Regarding future planning, the project will adopt a phased and steady - progress strategy. In the first phase, it is planned to open a pilot store of about 200 square meters with 1000 SKUs within six months. The core goal is to verify the feasibility of the technical model and user acceptance. After successful verification, it will enter the twelve - month phase of model optimization and initial replication, aiming to open 2 to 3 stores with an area expanded to 1000 square meters and establish a regional supply chain system. The ultimate vision is to open 10 to 15 stores in core cities within the next twenty - four months, explore the franchise model, and establish a leading position in the market.
In terms of the profit model, the project has designed a diversified revenue structure. It mainly includes direct profits from product sales, with an expected gross profit margin of 30% - 40%; additional revenue from membership subscription services; data service fees or shelf - space fees charged to suppliers; and the potential to develop value - added services such as advertising and customer referral, in order to build a healthy cash flow.
As the soul of the project, Wang Huihui is not only the CEO and CTO but also the core architect of the technical blueprint. He attributes his motivation for entrepreneurship to his strong personal insights and passion for solving practical problems. Starting from his own experience as a consumer, he deeply understands that the "grab - and - go" shopping method is the real need of many people. Meanwhile, the personal experiences of his relatives and friends in the retail industry have also made him more acutely aware of the industry's pain points. He frankly said that the development of smart cities is a clear direction, and he believes that this high - efficiency retail model will surely emerge in the future. Instead of waiting for others to achieve it, he would rather take the initiative to create it with his own technical capabilities.
Financing requirements and uses
Currently, the project has a complete PPT and technical plan. It is estimated that 500,000 - 1,000,000 RMB in seed - round startup funds are needed. The funds will be mainly used for three things: building a 100 - 200 square - meter technical verification model (electrical control + simple mechanical linkage); recruiting core partners in machinery and software; and connecting with industrial park sites. After a demonstrable pick - up model is developed and site cooperation intentions are reached within six months, it will directly seek angel - round investment.