A 24-hour convenience store, E-Kiosk, has opened in New Ross, Co Wexford, Ireland, claiming to be the first of its kind in the country, according to an RTE report. The store operates entirely through vending machines, eliminating the need for traditional counter staff.
Customers select and pay for their items using a machine, then retrieve their purchases from a separate dispensing unit. The store stocks a variety of goods, including drinks, snacks, convenience foods and fresh milk bottled on demand from a local dairy farm.
«I just thought that kind of technology could work in Ireland in time, so we came back and developed our own proprietary technology to try and create a new retail experience,» Tomás Young of Proserve Solutions, the technology company behind the E-Kiosk, told the news outlet.
Despite the absence of traditional staff, the store employs approximately 15 people to manage the technology and restock the machines. Young noted that the community has been supportive of the new venture, viewing it as an innovative and convenient shopping option. Local business leaders also expressed support, highlighting the store as a «vote of confidence» in the town and an example of the kind of innovation needed in the changing retail landscape.