Patent Description:
With the increasing labor cost and the technological progress, an unmanned retail has gradually emerged as a hot spot. The unmanned retail refers to an unattended service that mainly provides retail consumer services under unmanned conditions. "Unmanned" here generally represents that there are no salesman and cashier to provide manual services.

Currently, unmanned supermarkets have been built and operated in multiple cities in China. In the unmanned supermarket model known to the inventors, there are mainly two technologies to realize unmanned shopping: one is to realize unmanned shopping by RFID, and the other is to realize unmanned shopping by image recognition.

CN patent application publication No. <CIT> discloses a supermarket self-service check-out and commodity pickup system and method. The system includes a commodity transfer device, a user terminal, a business operation center platform, a basket filling system, and a self - service commodity pickup device; the user terminal and the basket filling system both communicate with the business operation center platform; the basket filling system establishes a connection with the self-service commodity pickup device; a user performs code scanning on selected commodities through the user terminal; the scanned commodities are automatically transferred to the basket filling system through the commodity transfer device; the basket filling system distributes corresponding vacant baskets according to orders; the business operation center platform returns a self-service commodity pickup verification code after the user performs check out; and self-service commodity pickup can be realized through the self-service commodity pickup device. With the supermarket self-service check-out and commodity pickup system and method of the invention adopted, the space utilization rate of supermarkets can be effectively improved; self-service supermarket shopping experience can be greatly realized; and waiting time required by the shopping and queuing of users can be effectively reduced.

Likewise, GB Patent No. <CIT> discloses a product provisioning system, such as a vending machine, is arranged, in use, to deliver to a user substantially simultaneously a plurality of discrete products. The product provisioning system comprises a plurality of independently-controllable product dispensing mechanisms each configured to dispense different types of products from one another. The product provisioning system also comprises a product collector arranged to collect together products dispensed by the plurality of product dispensing mechanisms. A control system is in communication with the product dispensing mechanisms, and is arranged to receive a user-specified product order for multiple products and, in response, control a set of the plurality of product dispensing mechanisms in parallel to dispense the required products. The product dispensing mechanism may comprise a vertical channel with a restriction mechanism to control the passage of products. Product channels may be aligned with one another and have a restocking inlet. The product collector may have an inclined, cushioned, friction-reducing, surface, such as a net with attached rollers or beads. A user may be authenticated through a card reader before goods are dispensed. The dispensing of more than one product at the same time reduces waiting times at the product provisioning system.

CN patent application publication No. <CIT> discloses an intelligent shopping system allowing reservation and self-service discharge and an application method of the system. The system comprises a closed warehouse, a control system and a client, wherein the closed warehouse is provided with a satellite positioning device; the satellite positioning device comprises a car body, multi-level classified storage units and multi - level conveying pipelines, wherein the car body is provided with discharge ports, to-be-sold commodities are contained in the corresponding storage units according to classification, the first end of each multi-level conveying pipeline is communicated with the corresponding discharge port, the second end of each multi-level conveying pipeline is branched level by level, and the branches of all levels are communicated with the storage units of the corresponding levels to form a netlike multi-level conveying system with the level-by-level branches corresponding to the storage units of all levels; the control system comprises an order reading device and a controller; and the client receives position information of the closed warehouse, a reservation APP is installed on the client, commodity types and states are viewed and reservation are performed through the reservation APP, orders are sent to the order reading device for translation, and the order reading device starts the controller for discharge.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a retail facility is provided. The retail facility includes: a building, including a merchandise display area configured to place a merchandise, a packaging area, configured to package a merchandise, and a shipment area, configured to output a packaged merchandise; a sorting device, configured to sort the merchandise from the merchandise display area to the packaging area; a packaging device configured to package the merchandise entering the packaging area; and a conveying device configured to convey the packaged merchandise from the packaging area to the shipment area;.

In some embodiments, the building further includes: an area for providing a scanning device configured to provide a scanning device with a designated identification, wherein the scanning device is configured to scan the scan information on the merchandise shelf so as to form a merchandise order and associate the scan information with the designated identification; and optionally, the scanning device comprises a scanner wearable on a human body or a hand-holdable scanner.

In some embodiments, the retail facility further includes: a charging device configured to provide a payment interface and provide a payment completion information after a payment is completed; the building further includes : an area for returning a scanning device configured to receive a returned scanning device and trigger the charging device to display the payment interface of the merchandise order.

In some embodiments, the scanning device includes a scanner wearable on a human body or a hand-holdable scanner.

In some embodiments, the conveying device includes a horizontal conveying mechanism and a vertical conveying mechanism, wherein the horizontal conveying mechanism is located below the packaging area to convey the packaged merchandise falling off from the packaging port to the vertical conveying mechanism, and the vertical conveying mechanism is configured to lift the packaged merchandise to the shipment area.

In some embodiments, the merchandise display area, the conveying path, the packaging area and the horizontal conveying mechanism are distributed sequentially from top to bottom in layers of different heights.

In some embodiments, a transparent casing is provided outside the merchandise display area, the conveying path, the packaging area and the shipment area.

In some embodiments, the packaging device includes: a closing mechanism configured to close a wrappage provided at the packaging port.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a merchandise processing method based on the foregoing retail facility is provided. The method includes: when a merchandise order associated with a scanning device is received, controlling the sorting device according to the merchandise order to sort a corresponding merchandise within the merchandise display area to positions corresponding to the scanning device within the packaging area; when a payment completion information is received, controlling the packaging device to package the merchandise at corresponding positions within the packaging area, and controlling the conveying device to convey a packaged merchandise to the shipment area.

In some embodiments, the step of receiving a merchandise order includes: receiving a merchandise order sent by the scanning device or a merchandise shelf when the scanning device scans the scan information of the merchandise shelf, wherein the merchandise order includes associated information between the scanning device and the merchandise of a designated merchandise category and quantity.

In some embodiments, the step of sorting includes: opening a sliding port where a merchandise of a designated merchandise category is situated so that the merchandise slides off from the sliding port to the conveying path; when the merchandise is conveyed within the conveying path to a packaging port corresponding to the scanning device, opening the packaging port so that the merchandise falls into the packaging port.

In some embodiments, the merchandise processing method further includes the steps before a packaging step: display a payment interface corresponding to the merchandise order by the charging device; receiving a payment completion information issued by the charging device after a payment is completed.

In some embodiments, the merchandise processing method further includes a method for processing an unpaid merchandise order, which includes: causing a position within the packaging area corresponding to the merchandise order to be inoperable.

In some embodiments, the method for processing an unpaid merchandise order further includes: when a re-shelving instruction is received, causing the position within the packaging area corresponding to the merchandise order to be operable and conveying an unpackaged merchandise to the shipment area for re-shelving by the conveying device.

The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure may be more clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

It should be understood that the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual scale. In addition, the same or similar reference signs are used to denote the same or similar components.

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and is in no way intended as a limitation to the present disclosure, its application or use. The present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms, which are not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the relative arrangements of the components and steps expounded in these embodiments should be construed as merely illustrative, rather than as a delimitation.

The use of the terms "first", "second" and similar words in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity or importance, but are merely used to distinguish between different parts. A word such as "comprise", "include" or variants thereof means that the element before the word covers the element (s) listed after the word without excluding the possibility of also covering other elements. The terms "up", "down", "left", "right", or the like are used only to represent a relative positional relationship, and the relative positional relationship may be changed correspondingly if the absolute position of the described object changes.

In the present disclosure, when it is described that a particular device is located between the first device and the second device, there may be an intermediate device between the particular device and the first device or the second device, and alternatively, there may be no intermediate device. When it is described that a particular device is connected to other devices, the particular device may be directly connected to said other devices without an intermediate device, and alternatively, may not be directly connected to said other devices but with an intermediate device.

All the terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the present disclosure have the same meanings as understood by those skilled in the art of the present disclosure unless otherwise defined. It should also be understood that terms as defined in general dictionaries , unless explicitly defined herein, should be interpreted as having meanings that are consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and not to be interpreted in an idealized or extremely formalized sense.

Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, these techniques, methods, and apparatuses should be considered as part of this specification.

In the unmanned supermarket model known to the inventors, there are mainly two technologies to realize unmanned shopping: one technology is to realize unmanned shopping by RFID, and the other is to realize unmanned shopping by image recognition. After studies, it has been found that in a RFID solution, there is a need to adhere a RFID tag before each merchandise is sold. Considering the labor occupied for adhering RFID and the price of a RFID tag, it is apparent that such solution requires consumption of much labor and cost. In the image recognition solution, there is a problem of low recognition accuracy, which results in misidentifying merchandise. Moreover, the number of consumers allowed by this solution to enter the supermarket at the same time cannot exceed a certain number (for example, <NUM> to <NUM> consumers), which renders a poor shopping experience.

In view of this, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a retail facility and a merchandise processing method thereof , which can save labor and cost.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a block diagram of some embodiments of the retail facility according to the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, according to the present invention, the retail facility includes: a building <NUM>, a sorting device <NUM>, a packaging device <NUM> and a conveying device <NUM>. The building <NUM> may be a stationary or mobile building built on the ground or other bearing surfaces (for example, a surface of a vehicle or a ship or the like). The building <NUM> may also be a single-layer structure, or may include a multi-layer structure.

The building <NUM> includes a merchandise display area <NUM>, a packaging area <NUM> and a shipment area <NUM>. The merchandise display area <NUM> is configured to place merchandise <NUM> so that the user may view and select merchandise. The packaging area <NUM> is configured to package the merchandise <NUM>. The sorting device <NUM> is configured to sort the merchandise <NUM> from the merchandise display area <NUM> to the packaging area <NUM>. The packaging device <NUM> is configured to package the merchandise <NUM> entering the packaging area <NUM>.

The shipment area <NUM> is configured to output the packaged merchandise <NUM> so that the user may be provided with the packaged merchandise <NUM>. The conveying device <NUM> is configured to convey the packaged merchandise <NUM> from the packaging area <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM>.

In this embodiment, the user may select the merchandise desired to be obtained according to own needs when browsing the merchandise placed within the merchandise display area <NUM>. The retail facility can automatically sort, package and output the merchandise selected by the user without scanning a RFID tag in the whole process, thereby saving the cost of a RFID tag and the labor occupied for adhering a RFID tag.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic structural view of some embodiments of the retail facility according to the present disclosure in a top-view angle. Referring to <FIG>, according to the present invention, the merchandise display area <NUM> includes a plurality of merchandise shelves <NUM>. These merchandise shelves <NUM> may be arranged at the same height, or at different heights. Passages for pedestrians may be formed between each merchandise shelf <NUM>, so that a user may freely browse the merchandise on each merchandise shelf <NUM>.

Each merchandise shelf <NUM> is configured to place at least one category of merchandises <NUM>, and each merchandise shelf <NUM> is provided with scan information corresponding to a category of the merchandise placed on the merchandise shelf <NUM> (e.g., a barcode or a QR code, and the like). When a user selects a merchandise on the merchandise shelf <NUM>, a merchandise order may be formed by scanning the scan information on the merchandise shelf <NUM>.

The user may use a scanning device provided by the retail facility to scan the scan information. Correspondingly, the building <NUM> may further include an area <NUM> for providing a scanning device, configured to provide a scanning device with a designated identification. The scanning device may scan the scan information on the merchandise shelf <NUM> so that the controller or remote control platform of the retail facility may form a merchandise order, and associate the scan information with a designated identification. Since the scanning device corresponds to a designated identification, when the user scans by the scanning device, it is possible to establish a correlation between the scanning device and the scanned merchandise, and also establish a corresponding relationship with this merchandise order of the user.

After the user finishes selection, the scanning device may be returned to the retail facility, that is, the building <NUM> also includes an area <NUM> for returning a scanning device. The return of the scanning device may also be associated with a payment flow of the user, that is, the retail facility includes a charging device <NUM>. The charging device <NUM> may display a payment interface, for example, displaying the price information of each merchandise selected by the user, the total price after accumulation, and the like. When the area <NUM> for returning the scanning device receives the returned scanning device, the charging device <NUM> may be triggered to display a payment interface of the merchandise order.

In some embodiments, the scanning device may include a scanner wearable on a human body or a hand-holdable scanner, for example a ring, a wristband, glasses, a helmet, or a handheld scanner. After obtaining the scanning device, the user may return the scanning device to trigger a payment operation, so that the scanning device may be recycled in use, thereby reducing the cost. In other embodiments, the scanning device may also include a mobile communication device brought by the user, for example a cell phone. The user may scan by a built-in system program or a downloaded application program of the cell phone.

The user may select a payment method according to the prompts of the payment interface, for example, by cash, bank card, shopping card, Internet payment method, or the like, to perform a payment operation. After a payment is completed, the charging device <NUM> may deliver a payment completion information to the controller or remote control platform of the retail facility, so that the controller or remote control platform may control the packaging device <NUM> to perform a packaging operation, and control the conveying device <NUM> to convey the packaged merchandise <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic structural view of some embodiments of the retail facility according to the present disclosure in a perspective angle. Referring to <FIG>, according to the present invention, the sorting device <NUM> includes a plurality of openable and closable sliding ports <NUM> and a conveying path <NUM>. The plurality of openable and closable sliding ports <NUM> are respectively arranged below the plurality of merchandise shelves <NUM>. The conveying path <NUM> communicates with the plurality of sliding ports <NUM>, so as to move the merchandise <NUM> sliding off from the sliding ports <NUM> along the conveying path <NUM>.

When a user uses the scanning device to scan a merchandise <NUM> on a certain merchandise shelf <NUM>, the controller or remote control platform of the retail facility generates a new merchandise order or adds the scanned merchandise to the existing merchandise order. Moreover, the controller or a remote control platform may control the sliding port <NUM> below the merchandise shelf <NUM> to open, so that the selected merchandise slides from the sliding port <NUM> to the conveying path <NUM> under the action of gravity.

In <FIG>, the packaging area <NUM> includes a plurality of packaging ports <NUM>. The conveying path <NUM> communicates with the plurality of packaging ports <NUM>, and is configured to convey the merchandise <NUM> sliding off from the sliding ports <NUM> to the corresponding packaging ports <NUM>. According to the present invention , the conveying path <NUM> includes a slideway, below which the plurality of packaging ports <NUM> are located. The sorting device <NUM> further includes a flip provided at the packaging port <NUM>. When the flip is opened, the merchandise <NUM> is allowed to fall into the packaging port <NUM> from the slideway. In this way, when the merchandise slides along the slideway, the merchandise <NUM> slides to the packaging port with the opened flip so as to fall into the packaging port <NUM>. In other examples not falling within the scope of the invention as claimed, the conveying path <NUM> may include a belt conveying device, a chain conveying device, a roller conveying device, or the like.

Referring to <FIG>, a wrappage <NUM> for containing the merchandise <NUM> may be provided below the packaging port <NUM>. The wrappage <NUM> may be a plastic bag, a paper bag, a cloth bag, a carton, or the like. After the merchandise <NUM> falls into the wrappage <NUM>, tying may be suspended temporarily, and when checkout is completed, the packaging device <NUM> may complete the packaging of the merchandise to form the packaged merchandise <NUM>. The packaging device <NUM> includes a closing mechanism <NUM> for tying the wrappage <NUM> arranged at the packaging port <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the conveying device <NUM> may include a horizontal conveying mechanism <NUM> and a vertical conveying mechanism <NUM>. The horizontal conveying mechanism <NUM> is located below the packaging area <NUM> and configured to convey the packaged merchandise <NUM> falling off from the packaging port <NUM> to the vertical conveying mechanism <NUM>.

In the above-described sorting process, the plurality of packaging ports may correspond to the merchandise orders of different users which may not be confused therebetween and may be less limited in number so that more users may be allowed to enter the retail facility for selecting merchandise and obtain the purchased merchandise duly, thereby greatly improving the shopping experience of the user.

Referring to <FIG>, in order to make full use of the gravitational potential of the merchandise themselves to implementing transferring the merchandise, the merchandise display area <NUM>, the conveying path <NUM>, the packaging area <NUM> and the horizontal conveying mechanism <NUM> may be distributed sequentially from top to bottom in layers of different heights. The shipment area <NUM> may be arranged at a height the same as or similar to the merchandise display area <NUM> so as to facilitate providing by the user. The vertical conveying mechanism <NUM> may lift the packaged merchandise <NUM> conveyed by the horizontal conveying mechanism <NUM> located at the lowermost layer to the shipment area <NUM>.

In addition, in order to facilitate the maintenance and improve an aesthetic effect of the retail facility, a transparent casing may be provided outside the merchandise display area <NUM>, the conveying path <NUM>, the packaging area <NUM> and the shipment area <NUM> for a maintenance person and a user to view the operation process of the merchandise within the retail facility.

With reference to the above-described embodiments of the retail facility, the present disclosure also provides some embodiments of a merchandise processing method based on the retail facility. As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic flowchart of some embodiments of the merchandise processing method of a retail facility according to the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, the merchandise processing method includes step <NUM> and step <NUM>. In step <NUM>, when a merchandise order associated with a scanning device is received, the sorting device <NUM> is controlled according to the merchandise order to sort the corresponding merchandise <NUM> within the merchandise display area <NUM> to position within the packaging area <NUM> corresponding to the scanning device.

For example, when a user scans the scan information of a merchandise by a scanning device, the controller of the retail facility or the remote control platform that manages the retail facility may receive a merchandise order associated with the scanning device. Here, the merchandise order associated with the scanning device may be a list of merchandise information associated with the designated identification corresponding to the scanning device, and may include merchandise category, quantity, discount information, and the like. The controller or the remote control platform may issue a control instruction to the sorting device <NUM> according to the merchandise order, so that the sorting device <NUM> sorts the corresponding merchandise <NUM> to position within the packaging area <NUM> corresponding to the scanning device. Here, the position corresponding to the scanning device may be at least one packaging port associated with the designated identification corresponding to the scanning device.

Referring to <FIG>, according to the present invention, the merchandise display area <NUM> includes a plurality of merchandise shelves <NUM>, each of which is configured to place at least one category of merchandise <NUM>, and each of which is provided with scan information corresponding to categories of merchandise placed on the merchandise shelf <NUM>. When the scanning device scans the scan information of the merchandise shelf <NUM>, the controller or the remote control platform may receive the merchandise order sent by the scanning device or the merchandise shelf <NUM>, and the merchandise order includes the associated information between the scanning device and the merchandise of a designated merchandise category and quantity.

In step <NUM>, when a payment completion information is received, the packaging device <NUM> is controlled to package the merchandise <NUM> at corresponding positions within the packaging area <NUM>, and the conveying device <NUM> is controlled to convey the packaged merchandise <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM>.

For example, when the user is ready to check out after scanning multiple pieces of merchandises in the merchandise display area <NUM>, the payment interface may be triggered by returning the scanning device. When the user completes a payment operation, the controller or remote control platform may receive a payment completion information provided by the charging device <NUM>, and control the packaging device <NUM> to package the merchandises <NUM> that are already at corresponding positions within the packaging area <NUM>, and then control the conveying device <NUM> to convey the packaged merchandise <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM>. In this way, the user may obtain the packaged merchandise <NUM> from the shipment area <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic diagram of a sorting process in some embodiments of the merchandise processing method of a retail facility according to the present disclosure. In <FIG>, the packaging area <NUM> includes a plurality of packaging ports <NUM>, and the sorting device <NUM> includes: a plurality of openable and closable sliding ports <NUM> respectively provided below the plurality of merchandise shelves <NUM> and a conveying path <NUM> communicating with the plurality of sliding ports <NUM> and the plurality of packaging ports <NUM>.

The controller of the retail facility or the remote control platform that manages the retail facility may control the sorting device <NUM> to sort the merchandise <NUM> from the merchandise display area <NUM> to the corresponding packaging ports <NUM> in the packaging area. Specifically, the sorting operation may include step <NUM> and step <NUM>. In step <NUM>, the sliding port <NUM> where the merchandise <NUM> of a designated merchandise category are situated is opened, so that the merchandise <NUM> slide off from the sliding port <NUM> to the conveying path <NUM>. In step <NUM>, when the merchandise <NUM> is conveyed to the packaging port <NUM> corresponding to the scanning device within the conveying path <NUM>, the packaging port <NUM> is open so that the merchandise <NUM> falls into the packaging port <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic diagram of a payment flow in some embodiments of the merchandise processing method of a retail facility according to the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, the retail facility further includes a charging device <NUM>. Thus, before the packaging operation, the merchandise processing method may further include step <NUM> and step <NUM>. In step <NUM>, the charging device <NUM> may display a payment interface corresponding to the merchandise order. In step <NUM>, after a payment is completed, a payment completion information issued by the charging device <NUM> is received.

For example, when the user is ready for payment by some operations, for example returning the scanning device, the controller of the retail facility or the remote control platform that manages the retail facility may control the charging device <NUM> to display a payment interface corresponding to the merchandise order. The user may browse the payment interface to confirm the amount to be paid, the merchandise list on the merchandise order and discount description, and the like, and may perform payment by the payment methods provided in the payment interface. Upon a payment is completed, the charging device <NUM> may issue a payment completion information to the controller or the remote control platform, so as to trigger a subsequent packaging operation.

As shown in <FIG>, it is a schematic diagram of a processing flow of unpaid merchandise orders in some embodiments of the merchandise processing method of a retail facility according to the present disclosure. Referring to <FIG>, in some embodiments, when the user aborts purchase of the merchandise or fails to complete operations such as payment, the merchandise processing method further includes a method for processing an unpaid merchandise order. The method may include step <NUM>, that is, causing a position within the packaging area <NUM> corresponding to the merchandise order to be inoperable. At this time, the merchandise is still located within a wrappage at a corresponding packaging port in the packaging area <NUM>, and the merchandise order is cancelled or the user is prompted to change a payment method.

For the embodiments of the retail facility according to the present disclosure, the unpaid merchandise order may be further processed by a maintainer, for example, step <NUM>, causing a position within the packaging area <NUM> corresponding to the merchandise order to be operable and conveying the unpackaged merchandise <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM> for re-shelving according to a received re-shelving instruction by the conveying device <NUM>.

During this process, the maintainer may also trigger such processing process by the area <NUM> for returning the scanning device. For example, when a scanning device dedicated to abnormal processing is placed into the area <NUM> for returning the scanning device, the display screen of the retail facility shows the number of current unpaid orders. When re-shelving is necessary, the controller of the retail facility or the remote control platform that manages the retail facility may control the conveying device <NUM> to convey the unpackaged merchandise <NUM> to the shipment area <NUM>. In this way, the maintainer may manually put away these merchandises, or these merchandises are automatically put away by a relevant mechanism of the retail facility.

Hereto, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail. Some details well known in the art are not described to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure. According to the above description, those skilled in the art would fully know how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein.

Claim 1:
A retail facility, comprising:
a building (<NUM>), comprising a merchandise display area (<NUM>) configured to place a merchandise (<NUM>), a packaging area (<NUM>) configured to package a merchandise (<NUM>), and a shipment area (<NUM>) configured to output a packaged merchandise (<NUM>);
a sorting device (<NUM>), configured to sort the merchandise (<NUM>) from the merchandise display area (<NUM>) to the packaging area (<NUM>);
a packaging device (<NUM>), configured to package the merchandise (<NUM>) entering the packaging area (<NUM>) ; and
a conveying device (<NUM>), configured to convey the packaged merchandise (<NUM>) from the packaging area (<NUM>) to the shipment area (<NUM>) ;
wherein the merchandise display area (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of merchandise shelves (<NUM>), each merchandise shelf (<NUM>) of which is configured to place at least one category of merchandises (<NUM>), and each merchandise shelf (<NUM>) of which is provided with scan information corresponding to categories of merchandises placed on the merchandise shelf (<NUM>);
wherein the packaging area (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of packaging ports (<NUM>), and the sorting device (<NUM>) comprises:
a plurality of sliding ports (<NUM>) respectively provided below the plurality of merchandise shelves (<NUM>), wherein each sliding port (<NUM>) is openable and closable; and
a conveying path (<NUM>) communicating with the plurality of sliding ports (<NUM>) and the plurality of packaging ports (<NUM>), and configured to convey the merchandise (<NUM>) sliding off from the sliding ports (<NUM>) to a corresponding packaging port (<NUM>);
and wherein the packaging device (<NUM>) comprises: a closing mechanism (<NUM>) configured to close a wrappage (<NUM>) provided at the packaging port (<NUM>); and the conveying path (<NUM>) comprises a slideway, below which the plurality of packaging ports (<NUM>) are located, and the sorting device (<NUM>) further comprises a flip provided at each packaging port (<NUM>), such that the flip is configured to allow the merchandise (<NUM>) to fall into the corresponding packaging port (<NUM>) from the slideway when the flip is opened.