Japanese Convenience Store Upgrades Checkout System With Register Robot

Lawson Inc., a convenience store chain in Japan, has teamed up with Panasonic to test out an employee-free register that performs transactions and bags products for customers.

The register robot, dubbed "Reji Robo," debuted last week at a Lawson location in Osaka, The Japan Times reported.

Upon entering the store, customers will receive a shopping basket with a sensor, swipe products at checkout, and the basket will slide through a hole at the cashier table to automatically pack the items in a bag.

"If demand is strong enough, we are hoping to come up with ways in which customers will get their purchases settled by just passing through the register," Sadanobu Takemasu, president of Lawson, told Kyodo News.

The company plans to eventually release the Reji Robo in stores nationwide.

Amazon also has an automated grocery store in the works with its latest concept, Amazon Go, which will allow customers to skip lines and check out with their phones.