E-commerce retailer JD.com’s supermarket chain 7Fresh has installed five smart vending machines in Beijing’s Tongzhou district on February 21, allowing shoppers to buy groceries without any personal contact, 36Kr reported. The news comes as people in China are encouraged to minimize face-to-face interaction as the coronavirus lingers.
After scanning a QR code on the machines, users can open the door, take the goods, and leave. Like Amazon Go stores, the vending machines automatically charge users afterwords via digital wallet. 7Fresh employees monitor the quantity of products to make sure the machines remain stocked with fresh produce.
JD.com’s move comes amid a spate of efforts in China to help people reduce human-to-human contact during the outbreak.
