Coca-Cola to open 15 unstaffed stores in Hungary

Coca-Cola has launched its first unstaffed store in Hungary, partnering with Kende Retail Ltd. to conquer the automated retail market. With plans to open 15 cashierless stores over three years, Coca-Cola HBC Hungary aims to triple its revenue with these AI-driven solutions by 2026.

Coca-Cola’s unstaffed stores

Portfolio reports that Coca-Cola launched an unstaffed store in Hungary, partnering with Kende Retail Ltd. to tap into the growing automated retail market. Coca-Cola HBC Hungary plans to invest HUF 250 million (EUR 612,300) over three years to establish 15 cashierless and unstaffed stores, aiming to triple its revenue from this sector by 2026. With nearly two decades of experience in unmanned vending solutions, the company is leveraging AI-driven technology to modernise shopping experiences. The Hungarian automated retail market, valued at approximately HUF 50 billion (EUR 122 million), includes vending machines for cold and hot beverages, snacks, and ready meals. Ágnes Kovács, the Managing Director of Coca-Cola HBC Hungary says:

In the years since the coronavirus pandemic, the Hungarian retail sector has undergone a major transformation, with new technologies taking root, new shopping habits, a noticeable labour shortage and the pervasive digitalisation of the sector (… ) Our current plans are to open 15 stores in three years, including the existing store at Yettel Hungary’s headquarters, with a combined investment value of more than HUF 250 million, and we expect to triple our revenue from this pioneering retail solution by the end of 2026.