Unmanned water replenishment station
Taiwanese.com June 24 (Reporter Lin Jingxian, Straits Newspaper Reporter) When thinking of Taiwan's "unmanned store", many people may have the impression of the claw machine store. As a representative of the once "low-end economy", Taiwan's claw machine shops have seen a "stopping trend". But this does not mean that "unmanned" is the end of Taiwan's development. On the contrary, "unmanned stores" with more diverse functions and more in line with people's livelihood needs are emerging like mushrooms after a rain. Some people describe "unmanned store" as a "small printing machine". It seems that you can make money by placing the machine in it. However, as the leader of Taiwan supermarkets, 7-ELEVEN "calls out of the way" not long after launching the "unmanned store", and the reasons behind it are also worth pondering. Whether the "unmanned store" tests the water temperature or is a flash in the pan, remains to be seen.
unmanned stores have increased sharply. The store’s small functions have all
entered Taiwan during the rainy season, and washing and drying clothes has become a problem for every household. The reporter from the Guide Taiwan stationed in Taiwan casually walked into a laundry located in , Xinyi District, Taipei. 12 washing machines and dryers of different specifications were running at high speed. After a closer look, the store covers an area of only about 40 square meters, but it is "full of all organs". In addition to vending machines and laundry agents, there are also chairs and a whole cabinet of magazines for users to rest and wait. "If you dry a household washing machine, it will take time and electricity," said Ms. Lu, who is waiting in the laundry room, said in an interview. "Many 'Beijing drifters' nearby rent elegant rooms, not even washing machines, let alone balcony. So when it comes to rain or weekends, there will be queues in the laundry here."
self-service laundry is booming in Taiwan. According to statistics from the financial department of the Taiwan authorities, the number of stores has increased by more than 10% in five consecutive years. However, in Taiwan, where "unmanned" is becoming increasingly "unmanned", self-service laundry is just one of the "unmanned stores" army, and it is not the most profitable member. "The first franchise is the coin-operated water supply station, because Taiwanese people don't trust tap water very much." Mr. Dong, a marketing expert in Taiwan, revealed to us in an interview, "The cost of franchise funds and machines is only about 580,000 yuan (NTD, the same below). If you deduct rent and water and electricity, a water supply machine can make a net profit of 30,000 yuan in a month."
In addition to the water supply station and laundry, Taiwanese people also attract self-service car wash stores. There are those who clean cars, and there are those who clean Taiwanese favorite motorcycles (motorcycles). In order to improve competitiveness, stores often do not just put one machine. For example, the unmanned car wash shop has further refined it. Put a special car wash pad machine. Just put the entire car pad into the cleaning machine, turn the switch, flush and dry it in one go, and only need to invest 30 yuan. Recently, media reported that "hard helmet high-pressure cleaning machines" appeared in some cities in Taiwan, and quickly became the new favorite of Taiwan's "locomotives" in the hot summer when sweating prone.
's "unmanned store" function is becoming more and more comprehensive. Store owners often set up "unmanned equipment" such as claw machines, beverage vending machines, self-service document photo shooting machines, game consoles, etc. in the store. Even the "bird box" has entered the "unmanned store". At the beginning of this year, Taipei Songshan MRT Station opened the first unmanned cafe in Taiwan. One machine can produce 14 flavors, and the industrial-style store can also be provided for passengers to wait and relax. A reporter from The Guide reviewed the relevant reports and learned that the brand of this unmanned cafe is a brand merchant that introduced "self-service mini KTV" to Taiwan last year. Unmanned equipment is like a "small money printing machine", driving businesses to constantly innovate, which is enough to show the vigorous vitality of "unmanned" business opportunities in Taiwan.
wants to "make a profit", it's not that simple
At the 2019 Taipei International Chain Franchise and Entrepreneurship Exhibition, a person in charge of the Taiwan Chain Franchise Promotion Association said: Today's young people are more accustomed to interacting with machines than the previous generation, and the new consumption trend of the "sharing economy" has also promoted the development of "unmanned stores". The industry insider also pointed out that the development of "unmanned stores" also depends on the advancement of technology. "Claw machines are just the most primitive and rough way. When AI technology is widely used, more unmanned stores based on people's livelihood needs will continue to emerge."
"unmanned" also hits the "pain points" of Taiwan society today. Aging and low birth rate have led to a lack of manpower. Especially after the Tsai administration implemented the "one case, one break", many stores have difficulty recruiting and hiring people. "Unmanned stores" don't have to worry about employees having to work off holidays and overtime, and their time is flexible, and it has even become a new choice for Taiwanese office workers to invest part-time. The reporter of the Guide met Mike, who worked as an engineer at Acer, and joined a joint venture with his friends to open a self-service laundry. "The headquarters will send people to deal with the space planning and construction installation. I will leave a contact information in the store and check the store at any time through the monitoring equipment. "Mike said in an interview.
However, operating a "unmanned store" is not just "making money by putting it in place." Mike revealed that although many "unmanned stores" now do not need to pay franchise funds or deposits, it still requires expenses to purchase machines. "It will take as early as three years to recover the capital. Moreover, with a machine, it needs maintenance. If things cannot be used, there will be no income. The cost of repair is quite damaging to the purse. "In addition, in Taiwan, cases of "unmanned store" self-service machines being stolen and artificially damaged occur frequently. The noise, sewage and waste generated when the machine is running are easily complained by nearby residents. Not long ago, a natural gas cylinder explosion occurred in a self-service laundry in Changhua. With the rapid development of emerging business models, if relevant regulations fail to follow up in time, it will inevitably lay safety and management risks.
even if you have money to invest, it will not be smooth. Taiwan's super-commerce "unmanned" process is not so smooth. 7-ELEVEN spent tens of millions to launch the unmanned store "X-STORE last year Future supermarkets, the store is equipped with AIOT technology and ZTE Preservation and other technology equipment. At first, due to the topic, the crowds are endless every day, but not long after, the traffic began to lag behind the general store ten steps away. "We found that consumers would rather queue up and wait for checkouts than go to a store next door with clerk services and warmth..." Huang Ruidi, general manager of the unified supermarket, announced that the "unmanned store" plan was temporarily shelved, and some public opinion began to talk about this, which means "temperature beats technology", and even believed that "unmanned stores" would only be "a flash in the pan" in Taiwan. After the freshness passed, they would eventually be like claw machines on the streets and alleys. Also disliked by consumers.
But is the fact that simple?
is not the key point, the key is to facilitate
In Taipei, it costs 200 yuan to ask for manual car washing at a motorcycle beauty shop. You only need to provide a high-pressure water gun and flush and spray foam. You have to do it yourself. car wash garage is 50 yuan. Mr. Lin, a heavy machine knight who has 20 years of "driving experience", told the Guide reporter that washing cars is not difficult, it takes time and physical strength. Most people will spend 50 yuan to do it themselves. Only when you need to waxing and polishing, such as "beauty projects" such as Will go to the store to find professionals. However, recently, some "unmanned stores" have introduced "electric unmanned car washes". As long as the car is parked, the "water drill" and cleaning agent can clean the motorcycle from beginning to end. Although it is slightly more expensive than the car wash, it saves time and effort. Therefore, although this kind of store is not dense at present, many knights are willing to search for stores "cross-regional" for use. How does 7-ELEVEN "unmanned store" operate in Taiwan? Although "X-STORE Future Supermarket" is open on the streets of downtown, if you want to enter, you must have an ichash first. 2.0, download Open Point APP and bind your account, and go to the machine next to the store to take photos and build files before using face recognition payment. The overall process takes at least 5 to 10 minutes, which is inconsistent with the core of "convenience" of the supermarket. Tea eggs, hot dogs, roasted sweet potatoes, Kanto boiled and other supermarkets are now cooked fresh food, but they cannot be sold because there is no barcode to scan. There is a gap in the product structure, which prompts consumers to transfer to general stores during the peak hours of three meals.
Taiwan's "3C blogger" Wu Yongcheng believes that rather than saying that consumers prefer "warm services", it is better to say that some "unmanned stores" lack substantial incentives to overcome consumers' habits and laziness. Choose more diverse, checkout speeds, or cheaper prices, so that consumers can measure the cost-effectiveness by themselves. There are often more people queuing up for refueling at self-service gas stations in Taiwan than manual refueling, because self-service refueling enjoys a price discount per liter.
self-service laundry is mostly concentrated near urban collective buildings and sub-leased suites; water houses are distributed in old communities, central and southern parts and offshore islands; car wash stations often appear at the entrances and exits of the exchange channel... Lu Xipeng, professor of the Department of Information Management of Taiwan University of Science and Technology, said that analyzing the big data of local business districts to launch accurate goods or services is also the key to attracting consumers by "unmanned stores". The unmanned supermarket "Binguo Box" established by mainland China has become very popular because of this. Other Taiwanese peers have also understood the lessons learned from 7-ELEVEN's "unmanned store". OK mini launched by OK supermarkets, and "Love Welfare in Smart Station" launched by Quanlian Welfare Center , only targeting closed areas such as small commercial office buildings, military camp welfare offices, and campuses. Carrefour's unmanned containers and RT-Mart's "mini stations" sell alcohol products at venues where open-air concerts are often held, and daily necessities are sold in remote areas. This not only solves the human resources problem, but also accurately caters to demand, allowing consumers to truly feel the convenience of "unmanned stores".
Technology should be the help of manpower. When "unmanned" becomes a new wave that swept the industry, I especially like Taiwan, which emphasizes "human touch", how to do a reasonable "division of labor" between machines and manpower may be the key point for the further development of "unmanned stores".
