Charles Crane/MDN Montanna Raynne, store manager at the Enerbase C-Store at South Broadway Cenex, scans a product area on Monday to demonstrate how the new automated self-service system tracks items.
It’s hard to believe that shopping at the convenience store could be any more convenient, but the state-of-the-art technology at the Enerbase C-Store on South Broadway has revolutionized the concept of “Grab it and go.”
The new store is the first of its kind in the state of North Dakota and uses an automated self-service system that requires only a card swipe upon entering the store. From there, 233 cameras mounted above the shelves and refrigerators actively track customers and their purchases. Customers are then charged when they leave the store with their items.
Montanna Raynne, one of the store’s managers, said she was initially a little intimidated when she asked to take over the management of the unique location, but the ease of use for staff and customers quickly put any concerns she might have had.
“When I got here and started getting familiar with the software, I realized how user-friendly it actually is. It’s a lot less complicated than I thought.” Said Raynne. “It’s a normal terminal. You always have to stop and swipe or tap your chip anyway. In this case, it’s like paying for gas in advance.”
The technology behind the cameras is supplied by Amazon, but a double firewall separates the tracking from Enerbase’s point-of-sale system. Once a shopper swipes their card, the cameras track them as “Blob” that is linked to the card, and no data other than their purchases and Enerbase rewards are collected and tracked. One quirk of the system that Raynne says undecided shoppers should be aware of is that items must be returned to their place on the shelf or they will be charged.
“It really depends on the people, just fewer people. Usually, if there’s more cleaning or tidying up to do, people have to hire more help. People have to put everything back where they took it from. If you take it and put it somewhere else, you’ve still paid for it. It’s kind of self-cleaning, which is really nice. It’s convenient for us, it’s really convenient for the consumer.” Said Raynne.
A touchscreen kiosk allows shoppers to link an email account to their card to receive receipts and process returns, further simplifying the shopping experience.
“People are really on their toes right now. It’s tough. I know some people only have 15 minutes or half an hour lunch break, so they have to come in here, run and get out and not talk to anyone. We all have employers who talk to people more than others. I might be one of those, sometimes they have to skip that person.” Said Raynne.
Raynne said Enerbase has no plans to open similar stores across the state any time soon, and it’s important for the public to get used to the significant changes the shopping experience will bring.
“I think it’s already such a change. I think the Fargo and Grand Forks area could benefit from it. As for the Minot area, I think we should stick to one small change at a time. Really let people get used to it – see who’s going to use this story and benefit from it.” Said Raynne. “But many people have had really positive experiences with it.”
