The group is committed to continuous improvement in operational excellence and innovation. In recent years, the group has sped up its digital transformation by embedding technology to streamline store operations, hence reducing low value manual tasks, optimising its human resources and further improving the customer experience.

Self-Service Lanes with Integrated Cash and Electronic Payments

The first set of self-payment solution from GLORY CASHINFINITY series has been introduced and connected to the existing Self Service Express (self-checkout lanes) in-store. AEON has taken an all-inclusive approach, offering customers the flexibility to pay via electronic and cash options. In turn, the Self Service Express can serve all target audiences and meet their varying payment preferences while realising contactless payment and reducing queue waiting time.

Automated End-of-day Processes in the Back Office

In addition, the manual cash counting process in the back office has also been automated with the latest high-speed, large-capacity cash recycler to significantly improve start-of day, shift change and close-of-day reconciliations. The risk of errors and shrinkage is greatly reduced, while freeing up time in repetitive and stressful cash handling to be redirected to other high value strategic tasks.

AEON Stores (Hong Kong) Company Limited’s Managing Director, Isao Sugawara, said: 'In recent years, the retail industry has faced unprecedented challenges. Although the pandemic has stabilised, labour shortages and changes in consumer behaviour are rewriting the rules in the industry. In the future, the group will further expand the use of front and back-office automation to other stores, as well as leverage other forms of technology. As we grow and evolve, we hope to offer a digitally enabled and differentiated store experience through continuously improving our store operations for a customer-centric shopping experience and staff-centric working environment.

Gaining insights

Combined with Glory’s UBIQULAR^TM software suite, the new CI-X series drives highly digitised, automated processes in retail stores. Store managers can get deep visibility into end-to-end operations with remote management and real-time updates.

GGS HK Managing Director, Masatsugu Yokotani adds, “Ubiqular Bridge allows firmware and software updates to be deployed remotely outside of AEON’s business hours, dramatically improving system uptime in the day. Since the deployment of the connected solution, the machine downtime and the need for field maintenance visit or intervention have been reduced drastically. This means the CI-10X self-payment terminal is always available to ease the checkout process for customers and to simplify store operations for store managers.”

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