Shop around the clock: Burgkemnitz relies on fully automated shops!

Shop around the clock: Burgkemnitz relies on fully automated shops!

In Saxony-Anhalt, local supply in rural regions is being rethought in an innovative way. More and more small towns are having to make do without shopping facilities, but a new concept is becoming increasingly popular: fully automated stores. A prime example of this is the mini supermarket “ Unser Schopp ” in Burgkemnitz, a small village with just 800 inhabitants. Here residents can shop around the clock, a real bright spot for rural supplies n-tv reported.

Access to the store is very easy using a scanned ID card. The approximately 80 square meter mini supermarket offers around 1,600 products. The founder Sandy Hoppert and her partner Marius Schiel focused on user-friendliness in the concept, for example by providing a wish board where customers can write down missing products. The oldest customer, who is 91 years old, does her shopping independently is noteworthy. Payment is made cashless and customers scan the products themselves. A pensioner supports the entire system for two hours three days a week, but Sunday is the busiest sales day when there are no staff on site.

Rules for automated stores

The legal framework has also changed to make such concepts possible. Economics Minister Sven Schulze points out that new regulations from October 2024 will extend the opening times for automated shops. These are now also allowed to open on Sundays and public holidays, which significantly strengthens local supplies in rural areas. Like the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry (MWL) emphasizes, the aim of these regulations is also to improve the quality of life in rural areas and to use digital solutions to ensure access to food.

Certain requirements apply to the operators of such stores: so that only a limited group of customers have access on Sundays and public holidays, access is regulated via a customer card. In addition, rest periods must be observed on these days, which means that, for example, shelf restocking is not permitted. The new rules are intended to help reduce the urban-rural divide in Saxony-Anhalt.

Sustainability and demand

The demand for automated stores is particularly high. Five additional locations are already being planned and have aroused the interest of over 70 other towns. The possibility of opening the stores in rural areas without existing retail makes the concept even more attractive. The requirements for new locations are clearly defined: a population of between 1,000 and 3,000 and a distance of at least five kilometers from the nearest supermarket is enough to arouse the interest of many operators. Because like a current study shows that there are a number of opportunities for new solutions in rural areas, as many villages with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants suffer from a lack of local supplies.

It is becoming clear that innovative, automated stores and flexible store concepts are not only necessary, but also offer an answer to the needs of the rural population. Regional support, including from local producers such as florists and butchers, complements the offering and ensures that a sustainable and needs-based supply can increasingly be created. Mayor Ferid Giebler reports consistently positive feedback from the population - a good sign for the future of these revolutionary shopping opportunities in rural areas of Saxony-Anhalt.