GLENDALE, CA – June 11, 2020 — Avery Dennison announced that it is the exclusive UHF RFID partner for Neste’s newly opened Easy Deli store in Helsinki, Finland. In addition, Avery Dennison has supported its long-time partner Nordic ID in developing the advanced self-checkout system: The unmanned store uses RFID technology to automatically scan all purchases made by the customer at once, contributing to a frictionless shopping experience and removing the need for cash desks or store staff to be permanently available.
Neste, a leading provider of renewable products, opened a fully automated Easy Deli store on June 3, 2020 in the center of Helsinki, Finland, and referred to the facility as “the first self-service convenience store in Europe using RFID technology”. A key component of the store concept is an RFID-based self checkout solution developed by Nordic ID, a Finnish technology company specialized in real-time item tracking and self-service solutions. The Easy Deli fully leverages the capabilities of RFID: Every product in the store is tagged with RFID labels from Avery Dennison, enabling 24/7 store availability through a self-checkout solution that scans all purchases made by the customer in an instant, even if they are packed into shopping bags or a backpack.
“Consumer shopping behavior is changing rapidly. We want to be part of this development and offer new kinds of smoother and faster customer experiences. The Easy Deli product scanner is the first of its kind in Finland and a huge leap forward compared to conventional self-checkouts. This makes the shopping experience much quicker and easier. The closest references are found in China where the RFID-based shops have received positive feedback for their user-friendliness,” said Jukka Peltoniemi, who is responsible for automated services at Neste.
During the summer of 2020, Neste will also open another Easy Deli store using the RFID technology in the Helsinki area. The company aims to further open new Easy Deli stores in conjunction with unmanned Neste stations in Riga, Latvia during 2020. The 24-hour self-service stores complement Neste’s range of services alongside conventional stations.
Enabling a frictionless shopping experience from end-to-end, registration to payment
To enter the Easy Deli store, customers start by registering in the Neste mobile app. This ensures secure shopping and helps to prevent any misuse and vandalism. After registering, customers pick out their products and place them on the RFID-based self-checkout, which scans all the products in seconds. Finally, customers pay for their purchases using Apple Pay, Google Pay or a payment card.
Avery Dennison supplies different UHF tag models, including AD456 on-metal tags and AD180 small circular tags which all provide the performance and reliability required for fast, safe and convenient self-checkout while maintaining other easily demonstrable benefits for convenience stores. These benefits include unheard-of levels of visibility into the inventory and the entire supply chain plus a reduction in labor costs of up to 50% for retailers. It also enables a frictionless and touchless experience for shoppers, which is something consumers are starting to demand more and more, especially in light of COVID-19.
“We are pleased to be the exclusive supplier of UHF RFID labels for this groundbreaking store concept led by Neste in Finland. It serves as a beacon for Avery Dennison’s comprehensive efforts to enable frictionless grocery shopping. Neste has demonstrated how technology can be used to create an innovative shopping experience that is fast, seamless and exciting whilst limiting unnecessary interaction with other people” said Francisco Melo, VP/GM, Avery Dennison Intelligent Labels.
About Neste
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates sustainable solutions for transport, business, and consumer needs. Our wide range of renewable products enable our customers to reduce climate emissions. We are the world's largest producer of renewable diesel refined from waste and residues, introducing renewable solutions also to the aviation and plastics industries. We are also a technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products. We want to be a reliable partner with widely valued expertise, research, and sustainable operations. In 2019, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 15.8 billion. In 2020, Neste placed 3rd on the Global 100 list of the most sustainable companies in the world. Read more: neste.com.
About Nordic ID
Nordic ID is a full-service PaaS (Platform as a Service) solutions company aimed at becoming the go-to partner for businesses that struggle with managing their flow of items. Our passion for enabling customers to manage their routine operations with ease, speed and efficiency, inspired us to develop all-in-one solutions that help companies to optimize the flow and count of goods. With our full line of RFID tracking devices and a customizable, adaptable cloud platform we simplify once tedious routine tasks and enable total process transparency. Nordic ID (NORDID) is listed on Nasdaq First North. Additional information: nordicid.com.