Swabia’s Silicon Valley – Würth develops a new store concept with Wanzl
Würth24 in Vöhringen enables tradespeople to shop around the clock.
24-hour shopping? It’s a dream that has so far been denied to retail dealers in Germany. But not for long – because in Vöhringen, Germany, Würth has teamed up with Wanzl to open the first 24-hour self-service store. “In opening the first branch where digitisation and innovation allow customers to shop 24 hours a day, Monday to Saturday, we have realised a store concept that has a promising future ahead of it. Following a successful test phase, the shop format can now be rolled out on a national and international scale, since it works perfectly in technical terms and can be replicated economically. As a comprehensive systems provider, Wanzl has proven its extensive performance expertise during this project,” said Bernd Renzhofe, Director of Sales at Wanzl Metallwarenfabrik GmbH. The Leipheim-based company, which began producing shopping trolleys 80 years ago, has become an expert in shopfitting and in networking brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce. From designs for the checkout area and project planning to the final implementation of the store, Wanzl offers solutions that enable retail dealers to remain competitive in this era of online retail. Würth24 facilitates the further expansion of the omni-channel strategy at Würth. Würth’s customers can order their goods via various channels – now around the clock too, in the new branch.
With this intention as their guide, Wanzl’s experts began working on the technical development of the 500-square-metre store, from the access point to the checkout. In addition to the technology and software, Wanzl also equipped the Würth branch with the appropriate hardware including a customer guidance system based on information screens. The Galaxy Gate access control system played a central role at the entrance, while the tunnel scanner with checkout conveyor belt was installed to identify the products being purchased. Once the customer reaches the checkout area, the Galaxy Port opens automatically. After the customer is identified using the Würth app, the scanning process begins: products placed on the conveyor belt are scanned and recorded digitally. A dispatch note is printed before the customer leaves the store and an invoice is issued a few days later. The design of the Wanzl checkout tunnel scanner is linear and functional, leading the customers through an intelligent structure to complete the desired scanning process. Customers can access information about the innovative scanning process at their leisure, using the info tower. All items are fitted with a security device which is only released by the tunnel scanner. If a customer leaves the store without paying, an alarm is triggered.
Images: Würth / Andi Schmid
