Japan Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store: Launching a Department Store Unmanned Retail Pilot with J. Front Retailing and Mitsubishi HC Capital

Customer Requirements

Department stores are entering a new stage of retail transformation.

As customer expectations change and labor shortages become a growing challenge, retailers need store formats that can offer convenience, efficiency, and a smooth shopping experience without relying entirely on traditional staffed checkout.

For J. Front Retailing, the 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store inside Daimaru Tokyo created a special opportunity to test a new kind of retail experience. The store needed to serve visitors who may want to quickly purchase official Expo merchandise, souvenirs, and selected goods in a busy department store environment.

At the same time, the project was not only a store operation test. It was also a proof-of-concept for the future of department store retail.

Together with Cloudpick Japan and Mitsubishi HC Capital, J. Front Retailing launched an AI-powered unmanned store pilot to explore how walk-through checkout technology could work inside a department store setting.

The project needed to address several key needs:

1. A smoother customer experience
   Visitors should be able to enter the store, pick up products, and leave without waiting in a traditional checkout line.
2. No app registration barrier
   The system needed to be easy for first-time users, including tourists and department store visitors who may not want to download a new app.
3. Efficient operation in a department store
   The unmanned model needed to reduce dependence on on-site cashier staffing while maintaining a high-quality shopping experience.
4. A practical PoC for retail innovation
   J. Front Retailing needed to verify whether an unmanned store model could bring new value to customers in a high-profile department store environment.
5. A new business model for smart retail equipment
   Mitsubishi HC Capital aimed to explore how asset ownership and subscription-based equipment leasing could support future unmanned store deployment.

To meet these goals, the three parties launched the unmanned store PoC inside Daimaru Tokyo’s 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store.

Cloudpick Solution

Cloudpick provided the hardware, software, and operational support for the AI-powered unmanned store system.

The shopping journey is designed to be simple:

Tap to enter
Customers tap a contactless credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay at the entry gate. No app registration is required.

Pick products freely
Inside the store, customers can browse shelves and select the products they want, including official Expo-related merchandise and other store items.

Walk out naturally
After choosing the products they need, customers leave the store without scanning each item manually or waiting at a cashier counter.

Automatic recognition and payment
AI cameras and shelf weight sensors work together to identify the type and quantity of products taken. Purchases are automatically charged to the card used at entry.

This creates a true walk-through checkout experience.

For customers, the process feels simple and intuitive: tap, shop, leave. For first-time users, the absence of app registration lowers the barrier to use, making the store more accessible to a wider range of visitors, including overseas tourists.

For operators, Cloudpick’s system turns the store into a digital retail unit. Product movement, transaction data, and inventory changes can be recorded automatically, supporting more efficient store management and future retail analysis.

The project also creates a new collaboration model. J. Front Retailing provides the retail site and leads the PoC. Cloudpick builds and supports the smart store system. Mitsubishi HC Capital owns the store equipment and provides it to J. Front Retailing under a subscription model.

This structure makes the project more than a technology trial. It becomes a test of how unmanned retail can be deployed, financed, operated, and scaled in the department store industry.

Result

The unmanned store pilot at Daimaru Tokyo’s 2025 Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store demonstrates how AI-powered walk-through checkout can support department store innovation.

For customers, the value is immediate. They can enter the store with a credit card or mobile wallet, pick up the products they want, and leave without waiting at a checkout counter. The experience is simple, fast, and especially suitable for short shopping moments inside a busy commercial facility.

For retail operators and partners, the benefits are broader:

1. A smoother shopping journey
   The walk-through model reduces checkout friction and creates a faster customer experience.
2. No app download required
   Credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay entry make the system easier for first-time users and tourists.
3. Lower operational pressure
   AI recognition and automated payment reduce repetitive cashier work and help address labor shortage challenges.
4. A new department store retail model
   The project tests whether unmanned store technology can fit into premium commercial environments, not only convenience stores or transport hubs.
5. Real-time digital operation
   Product movement and transaction data can be captured automatically, supporting inventory visibility and operational optimization.
6. A subscription-based deployment model
   With Mitsubishi HC Capital providing equipment assets through a subscription model, the project explores a more flexible path for future smart store expansion.

Most importantly, the project shows that unmanned retail can be adapted to department stores, event merchandise, and high-profile commercial spaces.

By working with J. Front Retailing and Mitsubishi HC Capital, Cloudpick brings its AI-powered walk-through checkout technology into Daimaru Tokyo’s Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store, creating a practical reference for the next generation of department store retail.

Customer Testimonial

A representative from the project said:

“Retailers are facing new challenges, from labor shortages to changing customer expectations. With Cloudpick’s AI-powered walk-through checkout technology, this unmanned store pilot allows visitors to enjoy a faster and more convenient shopping experience inside the Osaka–Kansai Expo Official Store. Through this collaboration among J. Front Retailing, Cloudpick, and Mitsubishi HC Capital, we are exploring a new model for department store innovation and future smart retail deployment.”