Shopping at Voi Cube

Digitization continues apace in high street retail. The first Migros Voi Cube shop has opened in Grenchen. The business operates without staff and is open around the clock. We went shopping there to try it out.

There is a global trend towards small-format shops that operate without cashiers and meet the needs of local customers. You no longer have to travel the world to find these high-tech stores. With Voi Cube, Migros has opened its first business of this type.

This is Voi Cube

At its core, Voi Cube is more like a walk-in vending machine than a shop. In contrast to the Amazon Go concept, for example, the Cube manages without exorbitantly expensive and complicated technology to monitor the goods. Simple and pragmatic.

The container covers an area of 18 square meters, on which around 500 everyday items are offered 24/7. Admission is only granted to customers who have installed the appropriate app for Apple or Android and registered in advance. An individual QR code then serves as a “key” that allows the customer to shop in the Voi Cube.

Positive first impression

The first impression of the Voi Cube is very promising. The registration process and admission went smoothly.

The most important everyday items are certainly available. Or almost: I was probably there at an inconvenient time. Unfortunately, some shelves were empty immediately following the weekend.

This goes to show, however, that cashier-free shops cannot do without staff completely. Those shelves still need to be stacked.

A concept with a lot of options

Migros has already announced that it may open further Voi Cubes if they are positively received by customers. The small stores are definitely an advantage to anyone who wants to shop completely independently of opening times or who needs a specific product quickly.

And from the perspective of Migros (or other food retailers who are experimenting with such stores), they provide new options. The small stores can meet local shopping needs in locations where maintaining a larger, staff-intensive branch is no longer worthwhile.

Another conceivable option would be to place the containers in front of larger branches, in order to provide a more limited range to customers around the clock.

It remains to be seen how much the small businesses are actually used. Voi Cube is certainly up to the technical challenges. And it is an exciting innovation, showing that high street retail is embracing digitization.