Automated stores: the manufacturing challenge behind the retail revolution
December 24, 2025
Summary
The future of retail is here, without cashiers. Automated stores, from smart lockers to 24/7 micro-markets, promise unprecedented convenience. But behind the simplicity of an app and an opening door lies enormous manufacturing complexity. For pioneers in this field, the real challenge is not just developing the software, but building reliable, secure and scalable hardware. MIBA acts as the strategic partner that turns an innovative prototype into a market-ready industrial product, managing the entire production chain.
The experience is fluid, almost magical. With a tap on your smartphone, a door unlocks, you pick up a product, and off you go. There are no lines, no cashiers. This is the promise of automated stores, the new frontier of commerce that is reshaping the way we shop. But behind this facade of immediate simplicity lies a technological and mechanical ecosystem of very high complexity.
For the companies leading this revolution, software and user experience are at the heart of their innovation. However, the success of these business models depends entirely on the reliability, security and scalability of their physical counterpart. Building this "machine" is a challenge that, if not managed properly, can stunt growth and undermine the entire project.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A common mistake is to think of vending machines as simply evolved vending machines. In reality, it is a complex electromechanical system, a true intelligent micro-building, which must operate continuously in unmanned environments. Its anatomy includes:
A strong and secure structure: the frameand exterior casing are not only aesthetic elements, but also the first line of defense against weathering and vandalism attempts. They must be precisely constructed to ensure perfect alignment between doors and mechanisms.
An electronic nervous system: a tangle of sensors, cameras, payment systems, touch-screens, and control units that must be flawlessly wired, integrated, and protected.
Precision mechanisms: whether it is product handling robotics, electronic locks or refrigeration systems, each mechanical component must be assembled with minimal tolerances to ensure thousands of operating cycles without failure.
Orchestrating the production of such a heterogeneous system is the real challenge.
From prototype to scalability: the strategic crossroads of automated stores
Many innovative startups in the automated store sector manage to build working prototypes with great agility. The real obstacle, however, comes when it comes time to scale up: going from 10 units to 1,000. This is where an artisanal approach proves untenable.
Mass production requires a partner who not only assembles, but knows how to industrialize. At MIBA, We come into play precisely at this crucial stage. Through a process of co-engineering (DFX - Design for Excellence), we collaborate with our customers' design teams to optimize every aspect of their product for manufacturability:
We simplify the design of metal components to make them easier and cheaper to produce.
We reorganize the internal layout to facilitate the'assemblyAnd future maintenance.
We select materials and surface treatments best suited to ensure durability over time.
This is not just a service, it is a strategic partnership that transforms a brilliant idea into a product that can be produced on a large scale efficiently and at a competitive cost.
MIBA: the integrated partner for automated retail
Our strength lies in full control of the production process. We are not simply assemblers; we are architects of complete solutions. For automatic store manufacturers, this translates into a decisive advantage.
Our Carpentry Divisionrealizes the outer envelope – the body of the store – with the precision required for flawless design and tamper-proof security. At the same time, our Equipment Division brings this body to life, managing the procurement and integration of all commercial components: screens, POS, sensors, wiringsand actuators.
This internal synergy eliminates the risks and delays typical of a fragmented supply chain. The customer no longer has to coordinate one supplier for sheet metal, one for electronics, and one for final assembly. With MIBA, he has a single point of contact responsible for the quality and functionality of the entire subsystem.
More than a supplier, an architect of reliability
Automated stores operate 24/7. Every minute of downtime is an economic loss and image damage. Reliability is not an optional extra, it is the basic requirement.
Our entire process is designed to ensure this reliability. Every module we produce undergoes rigorous functional testing before shipment. This approach allows us to offer our "Free Pass" guarantee: subsystems arrive at the customer ready for installation, without the need for additional incoming checks.
The automated store revolution requires pioneers with a bold vision. But it also requires manufacturing partners who can turn that vision into a tangible, reliable and scalable reality. Let for MIBA to deal with the complexity of the hardware so that you can focus on what you are best at: innovating the retail experience.
