Big Fish, smart supermarkets with a Catalan seal

Smart supermarkets, where consumers can walk in, grab the products they want, and walk out the door without having to wait in line or interact with anyone, are now a reality in Catalonia. Under the Big Fish brand, created by Grup Moure—a business holding company in the energy and car wash sector with well-known brands such as Elefante Azul, Petronet, and Washnet—and in collaboration with Huawei Cloud as partner technological, have created a new category of their own within the sector retail, known as techtail, "which fuses technology with the basic principles of retail," explains Big Fish.

The reader can probably get an idea of the reality of a smart store. In the United States, and even in other European countries, such as Germany (the Tegut chain) or Denmark, there are already brands that have created their own autonomous grocery stores. Without going any further, Amazon created, under the Amazon Go brand, smart supermarkets. just walk out (from English, only comes out), which through sensors and facial recognition allowed consumers to make purchases without the need for workers. However, last year Amazon announced that it would have to modify the technology of these supermarkets due to operational deficiencies and replace it with smart shopping carts. But that's another story.

In Catalonia, these types of stores were not yet commonplace—until now. "The Moure Group is a pioneering company in Spain in the area of self-service gas stations, and it is with that same self-service philosophy that we have sought to enter the world of retail," explains theCompanies Big Fish CEO David Casanovas. "With Big Fish, a new space is created between vending machines and convenience stores. They are 18-square-meter modules, very flexible and adaptable to any environment; they can be moved and have power and data," Casanovas points out.

Initially, Big Fish's idea was to create a complementary service to gas stations that would serve as shops for their gas stations, "but now the goal is to take it to hospitals, to the street, everywhere," he explains. In fact, the first Big Fish store opened at the beginning of the year in a gas station in Molins de Rei. The result was positive: "We have carried out more than 500 operations and it works perfectly; it has been very well received," Casanovas explains. At the Mobile World Congress, held in early March in Barcelona, ​​Moure opened a second Big Fish store in the port of Barcelona. They now have three stores in Catalonia, and their goal is to end the year with a dozen.

How do they work?

Big Fish's idea is that when a customer enters the store, they simply grab the products they want and leave, without even having to remove their wallet to pay. First, to open the door, the user must swipe their credit card over a sensor and enter their PIN. Once the technology has validated the card, the door opens, allowing the customer to enter and take the products they need. Once inside, cameras monitor the customer's progress through the store, along with sensors on the shelves that detect the products they take.

Once the user has the products they want in their hands, they can leave directly, and when they close the door, Big Fish will detect that they have completed the purchase and charge the card. Furthermore, this technology, which works with artificial intelligence, allows up to five people to shop at the same time. "We are now developing management software for these businesses that allows for store autonomy," says Casanovas, that is, to optimize stock tracking and the needs of each point of sale.

Regarding the security of user data, Big Fish counts on Huawei as a technological partner, through Huawei Cloud. "This technology allows for personalized offerings, improved efficiency, and dynamically adapted shopping experiences. With a secure and scalable cloud infrastructure, the project is poised for unlimited growth," the company explains. "This technology not only streamlines the process but also allows for continuous improvement of the offering, adapting to customer needs."

Big Fish has received an investment of "around 2 million euros" from the company, which is now seeking an investment partner. For the moment, Big Fish's goal is to consolidate its presence in Catalonia, grow in the Balearic Islands, and eventually establish a presence throughout Spain. "We don't set limits; we want to reach all of Europe," they assure. As for the business model, Casanovas is clear: "People want to get things right away and without wasting time. We're seeing more and more progress in self-service, and that's where we're headed," he notes.