The Challenge

Lib Convenience was established to address the significant gap in access to everyday convenience items in a remote area of Northern Quebec. The nearest store was more than 30 minutes away, making quick trips for essential goods impractical for the local population. Lib Convenience, founded by a local resident of the community, saw an opportunity to provide a solution through an unmanned store model that could operate profitably in this isolated location.

The fully autonomous store model came with its own challenges, the biggest being ensuring that the store was secure and accessible at all times, while operating without any on-site staff. The solution had to be cost-effective and robust enough to handle the unique conditions of the community, especially in terms of accessibility and security.

Leav was the only provider capable of delivering the necessary technology for this ambitious project, as other vendors were reluctant to take on the challenge due to the remote location and small population size.

‍

The Solution

Leav worked closely with Lib Convenience to design and deploy a seamless, fully autonomous shopping experience. Leav’s Scan & Go technology was implemented as the core of the store’s operations, paired with configurable access control mechanisms to ensure secure, 24/7 shopping for the local community.

‍

Key Features of the Solution:

• Scan & Go Technology: Shoppers unlock the store using their mobile phones and scan items to purchase them directly from their devices.
• Configurable Access Control: Various methods were experimented with, ranging from mandatory signups to payment pre-authorization for unlocking the store, ensuring that only authorized customers could enter.
• 24/7 Remote Assistance: While the store operates without staff on-site, remote Lib employees are available for assistance during specific hours, providing a safety net for customers with questions or issues.

The deployment took approximately two months from the design phase to launch, during which Leav not only managed the technology aspect but also coordinated with other vendors and conceived the access control software. This collaboration ensured that the autonomous store was secure, intuitive to use, and fit for the community's needs.

‍

Results

The launch of Lib Convenience was met with a positive response from the community, with 82% of users rating the experience as highly satisfactory. Previously forced to drive long distances for simple convenience items, the community could now access essential goods 24/7, drastically improving convenience and quality of life for the 500 residents.

Key Outcomes:

• High Adoption Rates: After an initial adjustment period, approximately 86% of the local population adopted the autonomous shopping model, using the store regularly.
• Seamless Shopping Experience: Customers appreciated the ease of use and the 24/7 availability, with no downtime reported since launch.
• Improved Accessibility: The store successfully addressed the food desert problem in the area, giving residents access to everyday essentials without long drives.

‍

While there were no significant challenges post-launch, Lib Convenience continues to track the number of transactions and user adoption, ensuring that the model remains sustainable and effective.

‍

‍

The last convenience store in the community closed down, leaving the inhabitants without nearby stores. Now, they can quickly find what they need, 24/7.

‍

‍

Conclusion

Lib Convenience’s fully autonomous micro-store has proven to be a successful and scalable model for addressing food deserts in remote areas. With Leav’s technology, the store operates profitably and securely without the need for staff on-site, offering the community continuous access to essential goods. The successful deployment of Leav’s solution at Lib Convenience has not only solved a pressing local issue but has also set the stage for broader adoption of this business model across other remote communities in Canada and beyond.

The success of this deployment demonstrates the potential for similar stores to address food deserts in other parts of Quebec, Canada, and even the United States. Leav’s technology is now fully feature-ready to support other operators in replicating this autonomous, 24/7 store model, helping solve accessibility issues in underserved regions.