After the Japanese convenience store chain, Lawson hired a worker in Sweden to run virtual avatars in its stores, with intentions to expand to the US, even store employees may soon be working remotely.
In addition to addressing labor shortages, the project seeks to resolve the chain’s operational issues, which have long been hampered by the need for 24-hour operations. This month, the firm will hire a Japanese resident living in Sweden as its first foreign remote shop employee. To guarantee a flawless experience, the employee will use the eight-hour time difference to assist Japanese clients with self-checkout procedures during off-peak hours.
Sadanobu Takemasu, the President of Lawson, has laid out plans to broaden the program to include remote workers in other nations, like the US and Brazil. By using time zone variations, the technology enables remote in-store work to replace shifts that are more difficult to fill locally.
Employees can replicate the tasks of on-site staff by interacting with customers in real time while controlling avatars that are outfitted with cameras and other equipment that the company provides.
Originally unveiled in 2022 in partnership with Tokyo-based software company Avita, the avatars are currently operational at 28 stores located in various locales, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
Takemasu emphasized the system’s advantages, pointing out that self-checkout kiosks manned by avatar operators may lessen the strain on in-store employees by more than 1.5 hours every day per store. Additionally, it might enable some stores to function without any physical employees during specific late-night hours, which is a big change for a company that typically operates around the clock.
Continuing, the action was taken in response to the growing labour shortage in Japan’s retail industry.
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According to a recent Nikkei survey accessed by BrandSpur digital news platform, more than 62% of convenience shop owners had trouble hiring enough part-time employees during the previous fiscal year. Lawson can maintain customer service standards without overtaxing local employees or franchise owners by hiring remote store employees, who provide a financially viable solution to the problem.
Lawson’s avatar system, which has grown from its original 17 stores to its present 28 sites, is operated by about 70 staff who have received training. Lawson’s strategy shows how remote in-store employment might become a vital component of convenience store operations, especially in labor-constrained markets. The technology may be adopted by retailers globally looking for innovative methods to reconcile personnel difficulties with operational objectives, as plans for international development are already in the works.
