SAN DIEGO—Accel Robotics has opened Valet Market, an autonomous community market offering 1,500 square feet of retail space within Brookfield's Vantage Pointe in San Diego's East Village.
Designed as a shared pantry for the neighborhood, shoppers at Valet Market will find locally-sourced items, such as produce, baked goods and dairy, alongside everyday convenience items on the store's smart shelves. The market is also integrated with Last Step delivery services for residents, who can order goods through the store's mobile app for on-demand delivery straight to their door.
“Valet Market signals a new era in modern convenience that offers community residents 24/7 access to autonomous shopping while serving as a distribution hub for the larger community," said Brandon Maseda, CEO and co-founder of Accel Robotics, in a press release. “We're enabling a grab-and-go store of the future for a fast, hyper-local shopping experience, all while setting a new standard of service with our Last Step delivery offering.”
To shop, consumers download an app and use their phone to check in to the store. Once inside, shoppers select desired items and walk out without having to wait in line to check out.
Advanced technologies including computer vision, shelf-level sensors and artificial intelligence automatically track products as shoppers remove them from the shelves. When exiting the store, a receipt is delivered to the shopper's mobile device.
“We're experiencing incredible momentum around delivering autonomous shopping solutions for enterprise customers across the retail sector,” Maseda said. “With Valet Market, we have the opportunity to showcase our next-generation, contactless shopping experience directly to consumers while providing our real-estate partners with a cutting-edge, innovative tenant amenity.”
In addition to Valet Market, Accel Robotics anticipates announcing partnerships with leading U.S. brands and entities, including universities, sports venues, military bases, convenience stores, pharmacies and fuel stations.