From Wow to Normal: Prof. Dr. Stephan Rüschen on the Real Test of Autonomous Retail

When Retail Becomes Normal Again

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We had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Dr. Stephan Rüschen, Professor of Food Retailing and Head of the Retail Management Study Program at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Heilbronn, to Portugal for a firsthand experience of Sensei-powered stores.

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Over two days, Prof. Dr. Rüschen visited multiple store formats — from a newly opened autonomous pharmacy to a large-scale supermarket, an employee-only office store, and our internal lab environment. His reaction was clear: what still feels like a “wow” moment for the industry is already becoming normal for customers.

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At a recently opened autonomous pharmacy, he experienced frictionless shopping in a completely new assortment category.

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“I just leave the store. I have nothing to do. A real grab-and-go feeling,  frictionless — but with the chance to control before I leave. This was really impressive.”

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The ability to check the invoice on-screen before exiting stood out. It offered reassurance without adding friction. This means control without complexity.

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At the 1,200 m² Continente Bom Dia supermarket, he observed something even more telling: customer behavior.

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“For them, it was normal. You go there, the products appear, you take your card, and you go out. For us it’s a ‘wow’ moment. For the customer, it’s normality.”

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That shift,  from innovation to everyday habit,  is where real transformation happens.

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Invisible technology, visible impact

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One moment particularly impressed him.

Trying to “test” the system, he picked up a banana without weighing it in the produce section.

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At checkout, the system immediately flagged it:

“The screen said: ‘You have a banana, but you have not yet weighed it.’ One touch, I weighed it, and it was finished.”

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What stood out most was how the system handled the situation.

“The system understands the situation and it manages it without making the customer feel like a thief.”

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Even in a store equipped with more than 1,000 cameras, the technology remained invisible.

“You don’t feel it. You don’t realize it. You just have a better experience without really knowing why. This was really great.”

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That seamlessness, where infrastructure disappears and experience leads,  is central to Sensei’s approach.

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Beyond checkout: building the business case

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At our Dojo, Prof. Dr. Rüschen was able to see the live system in action — real-time transaction recognition, customer journeys, and operational insights.

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“This was really impressive. You understand that it’s much more than just improving checkout. There is much more to optimize in the store.”

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For retailers, that’s critical. Autonomous technology must do more than remove queues, it must strengthen operations, improve accuracy, and support a sustainable business case.

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“It’s not only about customer experience. At the end of the day, it must work as a business case for the retailer.”

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Retail grounded in reality

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Since 2013, Prof. Dr. Stephan Rüschen has led the Retail Management Study Program at DHBW Heilbronn — located in one of Europe’s most important retail hubs. For nearly five years, he has researched unmanned stores and the evolution of customer journeys across markets.

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His conclusion after visiting Portugal?

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The technology works. Customers adopt it. And once experienced, frictionless retail quickly becomes the new standard.

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At Sensei, we build infrastructure that works today — quietly, seamlessly, and at scale.

Because the real transformation happens when innovation stops feeling like innovation and simply feels right.

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