X5 and Perekryostok opened new generation digital labs in supermarkets

X5 Group together with Perekryostok retail chain launched pilot digital labs in two supermarkets – on Osenniy Boulevard and in Afimol City shopping center. The new spaces became a testing ground for the introduction and validation of innovative technologies that allow us to automate up to 90% of store processes, quickly evaluate business hypotheses and improve both operational efficiency and customer convenience.

The labs currently use four key areas of technology: computer vision (CV), Bluetooth beacons, the Internet of Things (IoT) and audio beacons to analyze communication.

• Computer Vision is a system of intelligent cameras placed around the perimeter of the sales floor. It records the flow of customers, queues at the cash registers, empty shelves and customer preferences. Thanks to this it is possible to quickly adjust the assortment, avoid shortages of popular goods and promptly respond to emerging difficulties in service.
• Bluetooth-beacons are designed to collect data on the behavior of visitors in the sales area, which allows you to better understand the scenarios of movement, improve the accuracy of display and logistics efficiency.
• IoT solutions monitor the parameters of equipment and environment in the sales area: temperature, light level, CO₂ concentration and other important indicators. The system automatically adjusts them, ensuring a comfortable environment for customers and employees, as well as reducing operating costs.
• Audiobeidges connected to AI-powered analytics systems can study and improve employee interactions with customers. These devices capture dialogs and help assess service quality, identify growth points in communication and improve customer experience.

According to X5 Group Innovation Director Sergey Andreev, such laboratories are not just technological platforms, but a tool for rapid validation of hypotheses aimed at increasing turnover, improving process efficiency and identifying promising solutions with scalability. The company actively cooperates with technology partners and startups that help transform the retail business.

Alexander Chukhontsev, Director of Business Support and Efficiency at Perekryostok, emphasized that digital labs help accelerate the implementation of proven solutions.

“We continue to develop our technology retail business, striving to make every visit to the store as comfortable as possible, and to make the management of the retail space intelligent and flexible.”