From Liquor to Layoffs: The Downfall of China’s Unmanned Shelves

The article originates from From Liquor to Layoffs: The Downfall of China’s Unmanned Shelves

Summary

Since last year, unmanned shelves like Guoxiaomei occupied offices around big cities in China. Workers could buy very limited foods and drinks without leaving their buildings.

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Unmanned services sprout up all over China’s cities last year which attracted lots of investments. So many entrepreneurs believed they caught up with the trend. But the boom came fast and went fast. The bubble popped 10 months later. Thefts and mismanagement killed such a red-hot unmanned retail company. When the first unmanned retail company appeared, dozens of such companies came out overnight. So horrible. They competed viciously and only pursued the number of shelves they put up in order to entertain investors to invest more.

Aside from these companies, some entrepreneurs still believe unmanned services and keep improving the techniques of the shelves.

Response

I once bought soft drinks from unmanned shelves and it was very convenient for me. The unmanned service is not a new concept. But such a unmanned shelf like Guoxiaomei was a new thing. Whether customers paid or not just depended on their will. Ads for me, it’s not a good idea. It lacked of regulatory mechanism to customers and their terminal workers.

Recently, a smart unmanned fridge appears on gyms and malls. You pick up one, scan the QR Code to pay for it and the drink will roll out. The machine is like the coin vending machine. I think it’s the right way to provide the unmanned service.

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The problem of aging is becoming more and more serious. Unmanned services will have a bright future and will experience ups and downs before success.