Juxta Nomad – a technology company born amidst the global labor permacrisis

In a recent survey, almost two-thirds of small business owners reported that they’ve been adversely impacted by hiring and retention challenges. Those working in fuel and retail sectors won’t be surprised by those numbers, because they’ve felt it firsthand. But the real scope and impact of the current labor climate might be bigger than you’d expect. One study forecasted labor shortages exceeding 85 million people by 2030, or $8.5 trillion in unrealized annual revenue.

Lagging participation rates, aging populations, and declining population growth rates signify there are few quick-fix solutions to our labor challenges. In the US and the UK, population growth is slowing and on course to plateau, while in the Eurozone, it is set to fall. Governments worldwide are considering how and when to intervene.

“There is no shortage of evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, to illustrate the huge challenges faced by operators in the fuel and convenience retail sector,” explains Steve Liguori, Co-Founder and CMO at Juxta, an autonomous retail technology company. “Before launching the JUXTA Nomad, an unstaffed autonomous micro c-store, we conducted extensive market research. We heard the same stories in the US that we hear in Europe. ‘I need another thirty people for our c-stores, but it’s impossible to find the people I need to grow.’ ‘My staff shortages force me to cut operating hours several days a month.’ ‘I’m reviewing CVs, interviewing, sourcing people… I could hire more people just to focus on hiring people.’”

Juxta Nomad deployed at unattended fueling station | © Juxta

Liguori continued, “It was obvious to us at JUXTA that the convenience retail model was severely strained, and for operators, the challenges would continue unless bold new solutions were created. Instead of struggling to squeeze additional growth from a struggling labor model, it was time to focus on a technical solution that addressed the labor problem head-on. Could we accelerate a new form of retail that operates on healthy margins?”

To address the current labor challenges, the team at Juxta developed the Nomad, a portable, autonomous, micro convenience store which, with its AI-powered sensor fusion technology and consumer-centric design, negates the need for full-time staff. With its fully autonomous 24/7 retail format, the JUXTA Nomad facilitates retail growth without adding labor costs to a retailer’s existing operations.

In 2022, the average annual operating expense attributed to wages and benefits was $193,145 per c-store. The Nomad, while substantially smaller than a traditional c-store at 25 square meters, operates without any staff present during daily operations. Nomad stores deployed in North Carolina and Colorado are operating on fewer than five working hours per week, primarily tending to stocking, cleaning, and changes to product layout. As designed and as demonstrated in the United States, it may be the lowest operating expense per square foot in the retail industry. This allows the Nomads to function as incremental additions to existing retail operations. Alternatively, a collection of Nomads could be operated by one employee or team spread out within a community. Depending on how far apart they are geographically dispersed, a single employee could maintain 6 to 8 Nomads.

Consumer reviewing their basket after shopping in a Juxta Nomad | © Juxta

While operating with limited staffing hours, the shopping journey for consumers remains strikingly like a typical c-store. After tapping their preferred payment method at the entrance (no apps to download or memberships to join), the consumer shops as they normally would. While they shop, Juxta’s AI sensor fusion technology detects the products a consumer takes from (or returns to) the shelves with a mix of cameras and sensors, and it builds a virtual basket in real time. When the consumer has finished shopping, they have the option to review their basket at a screen by the exit, or simply leave if they’re in a hurry. Every step of the shopping process happens in real time for the consumer to validate, leaving them with a traditional shopping experience and the retailer with substantially reduced operating costs.

JUXTA has demonstrated the efficacy of the Nomad both technologically and financially for retailers. “If retailers have places they want to operate but can’t profitably do so with the limitations of round-the-clock staffing costs, we believe the Nomad may be their best bet for expanding to those locations,” said Om Shankar, co-founder and CEO at Juxta. “The Nomad is a transformative offering for expanding retail operations into the EV charging sector, unattended fueling, and countless additional applications.”

As the global labor crisis continues and labor challenges appear to have no end in sight, Juxta’s investment in unstaffed retail solutions appears well-designed for supporting retailers who look to continue growing profitably no matter the labor environment.

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