Japan Tokyu Futako-Tamagawa Station: Bringing Walk-Through Checkout to Commuter Convenience Retail with LAWSON GO

Customer Requirements

Railway stations are built around speed.

At Futako-Tamagawa Station on the Tokyu railway network in Tokyo, commuters move quickly between trains, offices, schools, shopping areas, and residential neighborhoods. Many station customers only need a simple purchase: a rice ball before work, a bakery item between transfers, a bottled drink before boarding, or a snack on the way home.

In this environment, even a short checkout line can feel too long.

The LAWSON S Lawson Go +toks Futako-Tamagawa store was introduced as a limited-period walk-through checkout project to explore a faster and more efficient model for station convenience retail. Operated by Tokyu Store as a Lawson franchise store, the project brought together the retail experience of Lawson, the station network of Tokyu, and Cloudpick-powered smart store technology.

The project needed to solve several key needs:

1. Faster shopping for commuters
   Station customers have limited time. The store needed to reduce checkout waiting and help customers complete small purchases quickly.
2. Compact station deployment
   The store was located inside Futako-Tamagawa Station, where retail space is valuable and customer flow must remain smooth.
3. A familiar Lawson product experience
   The store needed to offer daily convenience products such as rice balls, bakery items, drinks, and snacks while maintaining the trusted Lawson brand experience.
4. Easy entry without a new app download
   Customers needed a simple entry process that would feel natural for first-time users.
5. A public test of walk-through checkout
   The project needed to prove that cashierless store technology could work not only in closed office environments, but also in a publicly accessible station store.

To meet these goals, LAWSON GO introduced a walk-through checkout store model supported by Cloudpick technology.

Cloudpick Solution

Cloudpick supported the Catch&Go® walk-through checkout system used in the LAWSON GO store, together with NTT DATA.

The shopping journey is designed to be simple:

Get a QR code through LINE
Customers use LINE to obtain a QR code for store entry.

Scan to enter
Customers scan the QR code at the entrance gate and enter the store.

Pick products freely
Inside the store, customers can select from approximately 380 items, including rice balls, bakery products, beverages, and snacks.

Walk out naturally
After taking the products they want, customers simply leave the store without scanning every item manually or waiting at a cashier counter.

Automatic recognition and settlement
The system combines in-store cameras, shelf weight sensors, and AI recognition to identify the type and quantity of products taken. Payment is then automatically charged to the customer’s pre-registered credit card.

This creates a true walk-through checkout experience.

Compared with vending machines, the store offers a wider product selection and a more natural browsing experience. Compared with traditional station convenience stores, it reduces checkout friction and supports faster customer flow during commuting hours.

The store was also designed to be easy for first-time users. Instead of requiring a dedicated native app, the system works through LINE, making the entry process more accessible for everyday commuters.

For operators, Cloudpick’s technology helps turn the store into a digital retail unit. Product movement, transaction data, and inventory changes can be captured automatically, supporting replenishment, product planning, and operational efficiency.

Result

The LAWSON GO Futako-Tamagawa Station project demonstrates how walk-through checkout can upgrade convenience retail inside transport hubs.

For customers, the value is immediate. They can enter the store, take what they need, and leave without standing in a traditional checkout line. For station users who often shop in short time windows, this makes the experience faster and more natural.

For operators, the benefits are broader:

1. Faster commuter shopping
   The walk-through model helps reduce checkout waiting and supports quick purchases during busy travel periods.
2. Better use of station retail space
   A compact store can serve high-frequency customer needs within a limited station footprint.
3. Lower checkout dependency
   AI recognition and automated settlement reduce repetitive cashier work.
4. More product variety than vending machines
   Customers can browse rice balls, bakery items, drinks, snacks, and other daily products from open shelves.
5. Easy first-time user experience
   LINE-based QR entry reduces the need for customers to download a new dedicated app.
6. A scalable model for railway retail
   The same model can be applied to railway stations, metro stations, office buildings, campuses, hospitals, airports, and other high-frequency daily convenience scenarios.

Most importantly, the project shows that station retail innovation is not only about opening more stores. It is about making every small shopping moment faster, smarter, and better matched to the movement of people.

By working with Cloudpick, LAWSON GO at Tokyu’s Futako-Tamagawa Station created a practical reference for the next generation of commuter convenience retail: compact, familiar, walk-through, and powered by intelligent recognition technology.

Customer Testimonial

A representative from the project said:

“Station customers need convenience that fits naturally into their daily commute. With Cloudpick-powered walk-through checkout technology, LAWSON GO allows customers to pick up the products they need and leave without waiting in a traditional checkout line. This project provides a valuable reference for future convenience store innovation in railway stations and other high-traffic public spaces.”