日本連鎖超市Trial近年在零售業界被稱為「卷王」，原因在於它透過大量導入自家開發的AI技術，將傳統超市轉型為高度數位化的「智慧商店」。這種模式不僅改變了顧客的購物流程，也大幅提升了營運效率與成本控制能力，使其在日本零售市場中形成相當突出的競爭力。

其中最具代表性的創新，是店內使用的「智慧購物車」（Smart Shopping Cart）。這種購物車配備平板電腦與條碼掃描器，顧客在選購商品時，只要把商品放進購物車內便可即時自行掃描條碼，完成商品登錄。整個購物過程等於同時完成結帳準備。當顧客購物結束後，只需要推著購物車通過專用的智慧購物車通道，系統便會自動感應車內商品並完成數位支付，完全不需要再經過傳統的收銀台排隊與逐件掃描商品。這套流程大幅縮短結帳時間，官方表示效率最高可提升到傳統收銀方式的六倍。

除了購物流程的革新，Trial也在門市內大量部署AI攝影機系統。店內通常安裝數百甚至上千台攝影機，持續蒐集與分析門市運營數據。AI可以即時監測貨架狀態，一旦偵測到商品缺貨，就會自動通知員工補貨，減少過去需要人工巡視貨架的時間與人力成本。同時，系統也會分析顧客在店內的動線與停留時間，幫助門市調整商品陳列位置，讓高需求商品出現在更容易被看到的區域，從而提高銷售轉換率。

在成本控制方面，AI的應用也非常關鍵，尤其是在熟食商品的生產與銷售管理上。Trial以店內常見的「豬排便當」為例，透過分析歷史銷售數據、天氣變化以及當日即時客流量，AI系統能夠預測當天最合理的製作數量，避免因過度生產而導致食物報廢。此外，門市也會採用動態定價機制。系統會依據商品的新鮮度與剩餘保存時間，自動調整折扣價格，讓商品在過期前更容易售出，進一步降低報廢損失。

另一項特色則是數位化的行銷方式。智慧購物車上的平板電腦可以根據顧客目前所在的貨架位置以及過去的購物偏好，推送相關的電子優惠券或促銷資訊。這種即時且精準的廣告投放方式，不僅提高促銷效果，也減少傳統紙本傳單的印刷與發放成本。

在更宏觀的層面上，Trial背後的母公司Trial Holdings本身就具備相當強大的IT 開發能力。公司將門市收集到的大量數據直接與供應鏈系統連結，使商品需求、庫存與配送可以即時調整。這種以數據為核心的供應鏈管理模式，能夠有效減少庫存積壓與物流浪費，也成為Trial能夠透過科技手段大幅降低營運成本的重要原因之一。

The Japanese supermarket chain Trial has recently gained a reputation as one of the most aggressive competitors in Japan’s retail industry. This reputation largely comes from its extensive use of in-house developed AI technologies to transform traditional supermarkets into highly digitalized “smart stores.” Through this transformation, the company has significantly improved operational efficiency while reducing operating costs, giving it a strong competitive advantage in the Japanese retail market.

One of the most distinctive innovations is the Smart Shopping Cart, which plays a central role in achieving checkout speeds claimed to be up to six times faster than conventional methods. Each cart is equipped with a tablet and a barcode scanner. As customers place items into the cart, they can scan the products themselves in real time. In effect, the checkout process begins during shopping. When customers finish their purchases, they simply push the cart through a dedicated smart cart lane. The system automatically detects the items in the cart and completes the digital payment, allowing shoppers to skip the traditional cashier line and manual scanning process entirely. This streamlined workflow dramatically reduces checkout time.

Beyond the shopping process itself, Trial has also installed large numbers of AI-powered cameras throughout its stores. Some locations use hundreds or even thousands of cameras to continuously collect operational data. The AI system can monitor shelves in real time and automatically detect when products are out of stock, notifying staff to replenish them. This reduces the need for employees to manually check shelves. At the same time, the system analyzes customer movement patterns and dwell times within the store. These insights help optimize product placement, ensuring that high-demand items appear in areas where customers are most likely to see them, thereby increasing sales conversion rates.

AI is also critical for cost control, particularly in managing prepared foods. A well-known example is the store’s popular pork cutlet bento. By analyzing historical sales data, weather conditions, and even real-time customer traffic in the store, the AI system calculates the optimal number of meals to prepare each day. This prevents overproduction and reduces food waste. In addition, the stores use dynamic pricing, where the system automatically adjusts discounts based on the freshness of the product and the remaining shelf life. This approach helps ensure that items are sold before expiration, minimizing losses from unsold goods.

Marketing has also been digitized. The tablet on the smart shopping cart can display targeted digital coupons based on the customer’s current location within the store and their past purchasing behavior. This form of real-time personalized promotion not only improves marketing effectiveness but also significantly reduces the cost associated with printing and distributing traditional paper flyers.

On a broader level, the company behind the supermarket chain, Trial Holdings, possesses strong in-house IT development capabilities. The company integrates the massive amount of data collected from its stores directly with its supply chain systems. This allows inventory levels, product demand, and distribution logistics to be adjusted in near real time. Such a data-driven supply chain reduces excess inventory and logistical inefficiencies, which is one of the key reasons Trial claims it can significantly lower operating costs through technology.