Shopping around the clock: Burgkemnitz relies on fully automatic shops!

Shopping around the clock: Burgkemnitz relies on fully automatic shops!

Burgkemnitz, Deutschland - In Saxony-Anhalt, local supply in rural regions is being considered in an innovative way. More and more small places have to do without shopping, but a new concept is enjoying growing popularity: fully automated shops. A prime example of this is the mini supermarket "Our Schopp" in Burgkemnitz, a small village with just 800 inhabitants. Here the residents can shop around the clock, a real rural view for rural care, such as n-tv reported.

Access to the loading is easily via 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 have set user -friendliness in the concept, for example by providing a wish board where customers can write down missing products. The oldest customer, who self -employed at the age of 91, is remarkable. Payment is paid in cash, customers scan the products independently. A pensioner supports the entire system for two hours a day three days a week, but Sunday is the strongest sales day where there is no staff on site.

rules for automated shops

The legal framework has also changed to enable such concepts. Economic Minister Sven Schulze emphasizes that new decree regulations from October 2024 are expanding opening hours for automated business. These can now also open on Sundays and public holidays, which significantly strengthens the local supply in the country. and forsten (MWL) emphasize, the goal of these regulations is also to improve the quality of life in rural areas and the use of digital solutions to ensure food access.

Certain requirements apply to the operators of such shops: In order for only a limited customer group to 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 fillings are not allowed. The new rules should help reduce the city-country gradient in Saxony-Anhalt.

sustainability and demand

The demand for automated stores is particularly high. Five other locations are already being planned and have aroused the interest of over 70 other towns. The concept makes the opportunity to open the shops in rural areas without existing retailers even more attractive. The requirements for new locations are clearly defined: a population between 1,000 and 3,000 and at least five kilometers away to the next supermarket is already sufficient to arouse the interest of many operators. As a current study , there is a variety of opportunities for new solutions in rural areas, since numerous villages with less than 2,500 inhabitants are given a shortage of local supply suffer.

It becomes clear that innovative, automated shops and flexible store concepts are not only necessary, but also offer an answer to the needs of the rural population. The regional support, also by local producers such as florists and butchers, complements the offer and ensures that sustainable and needs -based care can increasingly arise. Mayor Ferid Giebler reports of consistently positive feedback from the population-a good sign for the future of these revolutionary shops in rural areas.