 19-Mar-18, Nikkei Asian Review 

Aeon, Japan's biggest retailer, will join forces with an Alibaba-backed technology company to develop models for stores in China powered by artificial intelligence.

Image: Nikkei Asian Review

Aeon will form a joint venture with Shanghai-based DeepBlue Technology, a startup that counts Jack Ma's Alibaba as an investor and has developed a model for an unmanned convenience store called TakeGo. Users register a hand print, which lets them access the kiosk-like store and pay for purchases.

The Japanese group operates about 430 supermarkets, convenience stores and other locations in China. Its latest move seeks to counter Amazon.com and other big names that are experimenting with high-tech store formats.

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