Okashi Land to open unmanned snack store in Mong Kok

Japanese snack store Okashi Land will open a self-service outlet in Mong Kok on 5 September, offering digitalised shopping experience for customers.Named "Unmanned Okashi Land" with more than 100 kinds of products, the store allows customers to complete the entire transaction process on their own by applying radio-frequency identification technology and leveraging customers’ digital wallets.The store will be located at Gala Place in Mong Kok.Okashi Land has partnered with EasyGo, a Guangzhou-based start-up running unmanned convenience stores across China, to launch this experimental store. "Unmanned stores and digital payments have become the main trend of the retail industry. The company set up Unmanned Okashi Land in the hope of better business and it will bring convenient services for Hong Kong customers," said Stephen Tai, chairman of Four Seas Mercantile Holdings, parent company of the snack chain.Unmanned retail outlets are gaining momentum worldwide, especially in China. Chinese internet giant Alibaba launched unmanned Tao Cafe in Hangzhou and JD.com also launched automated convenience stores in multiple Chinese cities.