How CEE retailers unlocked autonomous stores

With Amazon closing its Fresh autonomous stores in early 2026, many have come to think of self-service grocery as a failed experiment. High start-up costs, as well as a USP that did not excite shoppers as much as originally hoped, rendered many of these stores untenable. This has left retailers like Amazon in a difficult position. Investments into developing technology for these trial projects now seem to have been wasted.

This may be the case in Western Europe and the US. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), however, much more success has been found. Fully autonomous stores, such as Zabka Nano in Poland and Penny Pick & Go in Romania are now well established.  Hybrid stores, which use self-service technology to remain open outside of working hours, are a growing trend in the region. Banners such as Rimi Express in Latvia and Coop 24/7 in Czechia are growing in visibility. We explore what other retailers can learn from these successful strategies.

Location, location, location

A key learning here is the importance of location. All of Amazon’s autonomous stores in the UK were located in London, mostly in high footfall areas. These were well selected to create buzz around the exciting new technology. Such areas are not, however, well suited to the advantages of autonomous stores. This meant that once the original excitement faded, the stores could not support their high running costs.

Flagship autonomous stores can be found in major population centres in CEE. However, retailers are increasingly taking a different approach, selecting locations with specific challenges that autonomous technology can address. The key here is locating areas where 24-hour demand exists, but labour availability is limited. This means avoiding big cities, instead choosing smaller towns, rural areas, and targeting locations with 24-hour activity.

In Czechia, a pioneering market in the space, Coop and Klikni & Vezmi target rural areas as well as university accommodation, army barracks, and airports. These areas will not draw the most public attention but require 24-hour service and are separated from large population centres. A manned store here, especially one open 24 hours, would draw high labour costs, making autonomous technology viable.

The expansion of hybrid stores

While fully autonomous stores may be the most eye catching, the presence of hybrid stores is advancing rapidly across the region. Only four years after opening its first, Coop now operates over 100 24/7 hybrid stores in Czechia. This expansion is also spreading across markets, with Hungary (Coop 24/7) and Latvia (Rimi Express) both recently getting their first hybrid stores. This is even more striking when the start-up costs and niche applications of such stores are considered.

Hybrid stores combine the benefits of manned and autonomous retail. During normal opening hours, shoppers enjoy the benefits of having staff on hand. This is particularly useful in areas with older populations, as less tech-literate shoppers may be put off by autonomous technology. Additionally, daytime staff remove the need for sending workers to restock shelves. Outside of manned hours, the technology allows these stores to remain open, providing 24-hour service without increased labour costs.

Situationally deployed technology

In the autonomous space, CEE retailers are succeeding where many others have failed. Key to this is the lens through which these stores are viewed. In CEE they are seen not as technological showpieces for high footfall areas, but efficient solutions for the challenges of places with limited accessibility. By restricting their use to locations suited to the capabilities of autonomous technology, these retailers have made its use viable. Additionally, through investing in hybrid solutions, they have managed to access the best of both worlds.

For retailers outside of the region, the learnings are clear: autonomous stores are not a failed experiment. They are, alongside hybrid stores, efficient solutions to specific situated challenges. Identify locations with limited labour supply and 24-hour demand, this is where autonomous retail will find success.