São Paulo – Created in 2019 by five Brazilians, Onii Autonomous Stores will open its first point of sale in an Arab country this October. Victor Azouri Bermudes, one of the founders and CEO of Onii, will be responsible for the brand’s arrival in Dubai.
Already living in the United Arab Emirates, Victor will also take care of opening units in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, other emirates of the country. “Negotiations with the UAE were conducted strategically and carefully. After we participated in GITEX North Star in October 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, we received much positive feedback from representatives of Arab countries, which aroused Onii’s interest in expanding its operations to this region,” recalled Onii’s CEO. “Next, we visited the Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park and made it possible to have an Onii branch there.”
Bermudes also said the brand founders are excited about the opportunity to bring the unique model of stores and autonomous solutions to this region.
Between the second half of 2023 and the first of 2024, the intelligent convenience stores are expected to reach other Arab countries: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
“We are currently in Portugal and accelerating our expansion to Arab countries, the United States, and Spain. We believe the autonomous store concept has global potential, and we are happy to take our innovative solution beyond the borders of Brazil,” said Bermudes.
The brand’s export process involved strategic negotiations and local partnerships to facilitate entry into foreign markets. To export the brand, it was necessary to adapt the solution to meet each country’s needs, regulations, and commercial requirements.
Brand creation
The Brazilian stores were inspired by the Amazon Go model in the United States. Initially created to serve residential condominiums, the business quickly evolved into micro-markets in corporate spaces like We Work. The company’s is based in the city of São Carlos, in the interior of São Paulo state, and has a team of about 32 employees.
The company’s CEO explained that the idea for creating Onii came from observing consumers’ needs regarding convenience, practicality, and a personalized shopping experience. “We identified an opportunity to unite technology and retail to offer innovative solutions in the autonomous store sector. Onii aims to revolutionize the way people shop for products and services.”
At Onii, purchases are made autonomously. Consumers scan the products through the application, add them to the virtual cart and pay through it.
“We constantly seek to offer quality products, strategic partnerships, and competitive prices to ensure a positive experience. Our goal is to provide a reliable and efficient service, making people’s lives easier on a daily basis,” stated Onii’s CEO.
There are already over 770 points of sale open 24/7, spread across 19 states and 148 cities in Brazil. The units are available in condominiums, companies, clubs, hotels, stores, cars, stadiums, and other spaces.
“We use data intelligence and artificial intelligence to analyze customers’ purchasing behavior, allowing us to customize and improve the products offered according to their preferences and needs,” said Bermudes.
Concerning competitors, the CEO believes Onii differentiates itself by offering a complete solution combining access control technology.
Special report by Rebecca Vettore for ANBA.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
