Remotely Controlled Flower Shop Opens
Clark and Kelli Plihal are testing a new concept with a flower-in-a-pot shop in Crete, Nebraska, run not by people but by computers and cameras.
T he couple wanted a way to sell its Bump Up Pots, headquartered in Shelton, Nebraska, in a new area without the hassle of finding and training staff for the season. The satellite shop looks like a greenhouse with pots hanging from racks and sitting on shelves. A wooden console inside, however, is where all the innovation happens.
Two Skype accounts allow shoppers to speak with staff at headquarters, and computerized air cylinders reposition surveillance cameras. Checkouts happen via iPad, or the system can handle cash and provide change. It can even lock the doors at the end of the day.
Clark Plihal told the Lincoln Journal Star that after the success in Crete it plans to open more seasonal satellite stores next season.
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