EuroShop: Retail trade fair premiere for “Project RetailStore” by KHT and KNAPP AG

• Support for the technological transformation of physical shops
• New in-store system provides new shopping experiences and combines the benefits of online and brick and mortar shopping
• Combination of robotics, digital solutions and software enhances shopping experiences

Consumers’ expectations for shopping have changed because of the influence of online retail. Satisfied internet shoppers would also like to have similar advantages when they are shopping in stores. This means shopping around the clock, rapid product selection through various media, detailed article information and high article availability. Retailers can only provide this type of advantage to their customers by digitally transforming their stores. Solutions for this purpose were developed under “Project RetailStore”. KNAPP subsidiary KHT headed up the project to develop an in-store solution that integrates online shop benefits into brick and mortar retail. Whether drugstore articles, shoes, jewellery or even specialist tools, the solution can handle what’s being sold in almost all retail sectors. The project will be presented for the first time at this year’s EuroShop retail trade fair in Düsseldorf from February 16–20, hall 3, stand H94.

“Consumer behaviour has changed because of e-commerce and retailers can only live up to these new expectations by equipping their stores with new technology. Our in-store systems provide the technological basis to give the customer an attractive shopping experience,” says Christian Bauer, Managing Director of KHT.

KHT is heading up the development of solutions under “Project RetailStore”. Employees, technologies and solutions from throughout the KNAPP group, which KHT is a member of, are involved in the project. “Retail is undergoing a significant technological revolution, similar to the introduction of barcode technology over 40 years ago. We provide the help that retailers need to keep up with these developments,” says Bauer. The solution is an advanced in-store system. It combines robotics, digital solutions and software and is available in both self-sufficient and fully integrated variants.

The hardware basis is a picking robot that can store and retrieve articles fully-automatically. Storage is space-efficient and theft-proof. Employees and/or customers can access products through interactive monitors which connect to the robot. The articles can be picked up from vending compartments. Furthermore, expansions are available such as the interactive “ActiveShelf” and a 24/7 terminal that can be installed on the store façade, allowing customers to shop outside of store hours.

The software was specially developed for the project and can be configured in a variety of ways. All the necessary interfaces to connect to the material management and checkout systems of the retailers are included. The internal systems are all fully integrated and can be expanded at any time. “This creates even more potential for automation, efficient processes, pioneering innovations and attractive shopping experiences,” states Bauer.

The system makes its public debut at the KNAPP exhibition stand at the EuroShop retail trade fair (hall 3, stand H94). There, visitors can learn about how the system works, simulate different customer journeys, or hear about how the solution might work for them in their stores. Additionally, Rudolf Hansl, Managing Director of KNAPP Systemintegration GmbH, and Bernd Stöger, Executive Product Manager at KNAPP AG, will be giving expert lectures on the topic “Micro fulfilment as automated solution for online food retail in urban areas” on February 18 and 19 on the Retail Technology Stage (hall 6) and on the Omnichannel Stage (hall 6).

About KHT GmbH

Kommissionier- und Handhabungstechnik GmbH (KHT) is an engineering company headquartered in Gelsenkirchen specializing in industrial solutions for warehouse logistics. The product portfolio includes measurement, weighing and storage technologies as well as industrial services. The core of their own development, manufacturing and planning includes systems for capturing master data, as well as fully-automatic small parts warehouses. Founded in 1986 as a development company, KHT has been again and again named innovation leader and European market leader for both their product areas. KHT’s industrial solutions are used particularly for logistics, production and trade.

When the Apostore subsidiary was founded in 2000, the company successfully entered the private pharmacy market as well as pharmaceutical logistics. In the business year 2017 with 14 employees, KHT generated a turnover of 3.5 million euros. KHT is a one-hundred percent subsidiary of KNAPP AG, a technology company headquartered in Hart bei Graz, Austria. KNAPP develops and implements systems for warehouse automation and supplies warehouse logistics software for trade and industry. With 4,500 employees across several locations, KNAPP is one of the leading suppliers of intralogistics and warehouse automation for various sectors.