In February 2025, Shanghai Hongkou District ushered in a technological innovation in the retail pharmaceutical industry. The "Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store", carefully built by Shanghai Leiyunshang North District Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., was officially unveiled at No. 139 Wuzhou Road. This is the first unmanned drugstore in Hongkou District that integrates unmanned retail technology and a non-contact payment system. This drugstore not only provides consumers with a more convenient and efficient drug purchase experience, but also uses RFID technology as a core support, setting a new benchmark for the intelligent development of the pharmaceutical retail industry.
"Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store" allows customers to experience unprecedented shopping freedom with its unique unattended mode. In the store, customers do not need to face the clerk, but can choose the required medicines or other goods independently through intelligent equipment. After the selection is completed, there is no need to perform cumbersome code scanning or cash payment. The artificial intelligence system will automatically identify the customer's selected goods and complete the non-contact payment through the payment method bound in advance. The entire shopping process is simple and efficient, which greatly shortens the waiting time for customers.
Behind this series of intelligent services, RFID technology plays a vital role. RFID technology uses radio signals to identify specific targets and read related data, and is efficient, accurate, and fast. In the "Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store", RFID technology is widely used in the identification and management of goods. Each box of medicine is equipped with an RFID tag, which records key information such as the drug code, quantity, and expiration date. When customers pick up goods in the store, cameras and AI algorithms will identify the goods taken or put back by customers in real time, and RFID technology ensures the accuracy of this information. In addition, auxiliary technologies such as weight sensors are also combined with RFID technology to further improve the accuracy and reliability of commodity identification.
In addition to commodity identification, RFID technology also plays an important role in inventory management. In the "Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store", the intelligent drug vending system can monitor the inventory of drugs in real time. When the quantity of a certain drug is lower than the preset threshold, the system will automatically remind you to restock, thereby effectively avoiding the phenomenon of drug out-of-stock or backlog. This not only improves the operating efficiency of the pharmacy, but also ensures that customers can buy the required drugs at any time when they need them.
For consumers, the launch of "Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store" undoubtedly brings many conveniences. First of all, the unmanned sales model allows customers to choose the medicines they need more freely without facing the sales promotion and interruption of the store clerks during the purchase of medicines. Secondly, the application of contactless payment technology makes the shopping process faster and more efficient, without waiting in line for cashier. In addition, the intelligent selection and precision marketing in the pharmacy can also provide personalized recommendations and services based on consumers' shopping habits and preferences.
The successful launch of "Leibei Pharmaceutical Yongxin Store" will open up a new path for the intelligent development of the pharmaceutical retail industry. With the continuous advancement of technology and the expansion of application scenarios, RFID technology is expected to be widely used and promoted in more fields. At the same time, the model of unmanned pharmacies will also become one of the important development trends of the future retail industry. Through continuous exploration and innovation, the future pharmaceutical retail industry will become more intelligent, convenient, and humane, providing consumers with better shopping experience and services.
This paper is from Ulink Media, Shenzhen, China, the organizer of IOTE EXPO (IoT Expo in China)
