Biohof Peters, a neighbourhood store at Lake Steinhude, relies on self-scanning technology from software provider Lokbest. Customers can shop there daily from 5am to 11pm via an app – without the need for an employee to be on site. At this year’s Retail Innovation Days Special in Heilbronn, the store’s operator Kerstin Peters together with Myriam Kim Haber, managing partner for marketing and sales at Lokbest, reported on her experience with the solution.
Many smaller towns in Germany lack sufficient neighbourhood stores. For residents, this often means longer journeys to the nearest supermarket. This creates a significant supply gap between urban and rural areas that innovative concepts urgently need to close. Lokbest’s system helps smaller retailers such as Kerstin Peters to overcome challenges like staff shortages, high costs and low turnover by embracing digitalisation.
Kerstin Peters has been running her farm store since 2010, selling meat products from her own abattoir alongside a small range of organic wholesale produce. However, as it became increasingly difficult to find staff and run the farm store profitably, she considered closing it. Instead, Kerstin Peters decided in 2024 to convert her farm store to the Lokbest system.
Reaching a younger target group
Since implementing the technology, Biohof Peters has succeeded in appealing to younger target groups who previously did not shop in the store due to its limited opening hours. With the help of the Lokbest system, customers can now use an app to scan the QR code at the entrance, shop in the store and pay directly, with no staff on site.
To date, more than 4,000 purchases have been made at the Peters organic farm store using Lokbest technology, with an average basket value of 31.61 Euros. An analysis based on postcodes shows that around 1,200 Lokbest app users shop at Peters organic farm store. Kerstin Peters now generates a third of her turnover directly in the store, while two thirds continue to be generated on market days. Saturdays and Sundays are particularly strong sales days.
App-based solution
The Lokbest system is a modular self-scanning solution aimed particularly at small retailers. It consists of a customer app, browser-based access for retailers, and an interface to the store infrastructure. Shoppers must register once with their name and telephone number in the app, which gives them access to all participating stores. They then enter via a QR code scan at the entrance.
In the store, the customer’s smartphone takes on the role of a scanner. Products are scanned directly with the app, displaying prices and product information immediately. Payment process is handled digitally within the app, eliminating the need for a physical cash register. It is also possible to sell age-restricted products such as alcoholic beverages. Lokbest offers an integrated age verification feature for this purpose: customers simply need to upload a photo of themselves and their ID document to the app once. Validation takes approximately 90 seconds.
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All photos: Lokbest
Low installation effort
The installation effort for retailers is minimal. Lokbest provides a QR code reader with an integrated SIM card that is installed at the entrance and connected to an electronic lock. This means that the system can also be used without an on-site internet connection. Store operators can access the system via a browser to view statistics, manage customer data, create products, and send push notifications and newsletters to users.
Once the store operator has entered the products into the Lokbest system, the solution automatically generates price tags which are attached to the products and can be scanned by customers. The cloud platform provides real-time analysis of purchasing behaviour, facilitates replenishment and creates data transparency for small retailers, which was previously only available to large retail companies.
Scalable and flexible
One of the solution’s major advantages is its scalability: it can be used in farm and village stores, container stores and vending machines, or as a supplement to existing markets. Retailers benefit from flexible opening hours, reduced personnel costs and digital touchpoints with their customers. In rural regions where traditional supermarkets are unprofitable, Lokbest offers a viable economic alternative.
Founded in March 2022, the self-scanning solution provider Lokbest has so far equipped 43 stores in Germany, Austria and Italy with its technology. Over 20 more stores are set to follow this year. The Lokbest app currently has over 30,000 active users.
Solution for smaller retailers
Lokbest clearly positions itself as a technology provider for direct marketers who are often overwhelmed or burdened by the cost of traditional self-checkout or scan-and-go solutions. Unlike these systems, Lokbest does not require expensive hardware or complex IT integration, but instead relies consistently on apps, the cloud and QR codes. The company aims to drive forward the digitalisation of local supply, particularly in regions that have previously been considered difficult to tap into.
This video in German shows the installation and functionality of the Lokbest solution. (Video: Lokbest)
