Ghop, how these smart stores work in Spain

During the last years we have always been aware of all the news related to the world of automation in commerce, so much so that when Amazon presented its automatic stores, where we entered, took things, and left, we all went crazy.

Time has passed, and science fiction has become less fiction and more science, and that is how we have come to Ghop, a startup that has set up smart stores in Spain.

We talked to Lino Monteagudo, CEO of Ghop, so that you know all the details:

What is Ghop? How was he born?

Ghop is a startup that has created the first smart stores in Spain, without the need for on-site staff. They are stores, mainly food and drink, based on small modular establishments (15 m2), open at street level, 24 hours.

We sell the stores at cost price to companies with excess space and flow of people, such as service stations, universities or shopping centres. In addition, we offer the necessary services to make it work without staff, in exchange for a monthly fee. Ghop’s partner is only responsible for replacing and cleaning.

Ghop was created thanks to a grant from the Deusto Business School Citizen Bootcamp call. There, the co-founders of the company completed the training program on entrepreneurship.

In July 2021, Ghop opened its first pilot store in Moraleja Green and received a good response from users and the media.

How is it different from today’s grocery stores?

Today consumers are experiencing a lack of adaptation by grocery stores. Shopping and consumption habits change, but convenience stores have remained largely the same over the years. Without going any further, according to Zebra Technologies, 60% of convenience store consumers prefer to interact with their smartphone rather than with a physical person.

In turn, the consumer is increasingly inclined towards a quick and efficient purchase. Now the “here and now” is more important, which includes key factors such as proximity, store size, assortment distribution, among others.

Despite this, customers are increasingly asking for more personalization in their purchases, which may be due to the rise of Big Data: Consumers are getting used to having personalized offers and searches in their online purchases, but what about in physical stores? ?

The solution proposed by Ghop is a concept that has practically not been implemented in Spain: we are talking about the phygital store: Most people still make their purchases in physical stores, so we can deduce that there is a tendency towards the physical experience time to buy products that do not seem to be going extinct. With the concept that Ghop implements, we give consumers the opportunity to make their purchases physically, but with greater interaction with their mobile device, turning it into a Phygital experience.

In addition, with the data that can be extracted thanks to the technology that Ghop stores have, it will be possible to offer a more personalized service, with offers and discounts adapted to their tastes and habits, improving the shopping experience. The fact that the presence of a physical person working there is not necessary in stores allows greater flexibility when interacting with the user. The store will be open 24 hours a day, so consumers can purchase products when it suits them.

What is needed to install them somewhere?

Ghop’s business model can be summarized in the following steps:

• The client (B2B mode) wants to set up a Ghop store.
• The construction partner sells the store with a lead time of one month. Purchase the module from the builder with the necessary hardware.
• Ghop coordinates the start-up, manages the store and offers smart store services for a monthly fee.
• The distribution partners provide and send the products for sale.
• The customer is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of products.

How is the purchase made?

The purchase process is very simple and can be summarized in the following steps:

• For the first purchase, the user has to register by scanning the QR code on the door or through the following link: https://app.ghop.es/
• Once registered, the user can access the store with the QR code that has been generated on the mobile phone. This code will allow you to enter the store whenever you want.
• Inside the store, the customer chooses the products they want to buy and places them together in the payment box.
• Press the pay button on the totem and make the payment with the QR code of your Ghop account.
• Clever!

How do you prevent someone from opening the door, taking products and leaving without paying?

Unlike traditional convenience stores, at Ghop we have the identification of users who access our autonomous store. In the registry, we obtain sufficient data to, in the event of an incident, be able to locate the user and solve any problem that may have occurred in the establishment.

The door will not open unless a registered user scans their code to open it. Users are aware that, if someone enters with them, the registered user will be responsible for any incident that occurs within the store, so it is very unlikely that the customer will allow someone they do not know to enter the store.

In addition to that, we have a camera security system throughout the store and a stock control system that detects if any product is missing. With the security system we identify when someone has taken something without paying and as we have their username we get in touch with that person. With the stock management system we monitor the stock in real time and with the access information we link the reference that has not been paid with the user who takes it.

Where are Ghop stores currently? Why did you decide to open an Elefante Azul washing center?

In July 2021, we opened the first Ghop store in the center of Moraleja Green. A few months ago, we opened a store in the La Nave area (Villaverde, Madrid). These stores have functioned as pilot stores to improve the user experience and the product. Being pilot stores, they are no longer there. The store that we have in Elefante Azul has all the improvements that we have been implementing this last year and, thanks to this, we intend to open several stores throughout 2022.

Ghop’s relationship with Grupo Moure, a holding company with a presence in the energy and carwash sectors, among others, which includes the companies Elefante Azul, Autonetoil, Petronet and Washnet Factory, is very good and we both believe that this joint project could be a great opportunity to grow our business. They complement the services they offer to their customers and we found a good location to set up the store.

What is the growth forecast for this 2022?

Ghop’s intentions for the year 2022 are to open a control group of several stores in the Community of Madrid. In 2023 the idea is to expand throughout the national territory and by 2024, to be able to reach the international market.

Likewise, we intend to obtain more knowledge about different environments such as UX and validate different metrics to optimize all processes. The idea would be to improve the product and any aspect that affects the user’s shopping experience, such as identity validation, the payment method, etc. We want to offer an increasingly personalized service thanks to the data obtained from its users and to be able to offer discounts and offers that adapt to the needs and demands of its customers.

Another forecast for this 2022 is to increase the work team to be able to meet all the expectations that it had planned. On the other hand, the company has the help of Patricio Hunt, an advisor who advises and provides contacts to Ghop.