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Building the next generation of physical retail.
Store Next is an open-source project by Dev Collaboration Hub focused on exploring and building the software systems behind modern, intelligent, automated, and futuristic stores.
The goal is not to build another basic billing or inventory application.
The goal is to rethink how a physical store can work when software, automation, sensors, intelligent systems, and modern interfaces are designed together from the ground up.
Imagine a store where:
- customers can enter seamlessly
- shelves understand their own inventory
- prices can update digitally
- products can be located instantly
- checkout does not require long queues
- orders can be collected from smart lockers
- inventory is tracked automatically
- store operations are visible in real time
- repetitive work can be automated
- the entire store behaves like one connected system
Store Next aims to build the software foundation for that store.
Store Next will gradually develop independent but connected systems for different areas of a modern store.
A digital entry and welcome system.
Possible capabilities:
- smart access
- visitor/session initialization
- digital welcome interface
- store navigation
- entry event tracking
- accessibility assistance
Software for intelligent product shelves.
Possible capabilities:
- digital shelf labels
- real-time product information
- stock visibility
- low-stock detection
- shelf state monitoring
- product placement information
- dynamic pricing support
Individual store sections can operate as intelligent zones.
A section may understand:
- which products it contains
- current stock
- shelf locations
- pricing
- product availability
- restocking requirements
- section-level demand
The beverage area will be one of the first example smart-store zones.
Future shopping carts can become part of the store's digital infrastructure.
Possible capabilities:
- product scanning
- running cart total
- shopping list assistance
- indoor navigation
- product location guidance
- checkout integration
A modern checkout layer designed for fast and low-friction purchases.
Possible capabilities:
- item scanning
- cart verification
- billing
- digital receipts
- multiple payment integrations
- exit confirmation
Customers can order products and collect them from dedicated pickup areas.
Possible capabilities:
- order preparation tracking
- pickup codes
- smart locker assignment
- collection verification
- locker status management
Store Next will build an inventory system capable of maintaining a live representation of the physical store.
Possible capabilities:
- inventory events
- stock movement
- low-stock alerts
- automated stock reconciliation
- restocking recommendations
- inventory history
- section-level inventory state
A central operations layer can provide visibility into the entire store.
Examples:
- current inventory health
- sales activity
- product movement
- section activity
- low-stock items
- operational alerts
- demand patterns
- store performance
Many repetitive store operations can eventually be automated.
Examples:
- stock monitoring
- replenishment suggestions
- price updates
- shelf verification
- anomaly detection
- operational alerts
- pickup management
Store Next treats the store as a collection of connected subsystems rather than isolated applications.
STORE NEXT
│
┌──────────────┼──────────────┐
│ │ │
Entrance Shopping Operations
│ │ │
│ ┌─────┼─────┐ │
│ │ │ │ │
Access Shelves Cart Checkout Inventory
│ │
│ │
Payment Analytics
│ │
└──────┬──────┘
│
Automation
Every subsystem should be independently understandable while still being able to communicate with the rest of the store.
Store Next will be developed from scratch, milestone by milestone.
We prefer:
- simple systems before complex systems
- modular architecture
- understandable code
- testable components
- explicit interfaces
- reusable store primitives
- real functionality over mock complexity
- gradual automation
- hardware-independent core logic where possible
The project should remain useful even while individual advanced systems are still under development.
store-next/
│
├── entrance/
├── catalog/
├── shelves/
├── inventory/
├── cart/
├── checkout/
├── pickup/
├── pricing/
├── analytics/
├── automation/
├── store/
│
├── docs/
├── examples/
└── tests/
The structure will evolve as the system is implemented.
Define the store model, architecture, entities, events, identifiers, and project boundaries.
Build the core representation of products and store items.
Represent sections, aisles, shelves, product locations, and navigation relationships.
Track stock and inventory movement reliably.
Connect shelf state, products, pricing, and inventory.
Represent a customer's active shopping session and cart.
Build the purchasing and checkout workflow.
Add digital order pickup and smart-locker workflows.
Build the operational view of store activity.
Introduce rules and intelligent automation across store operations.
Integrate individual systems into one cohesive smart-store platform.
Future exploration may include:
- computer vision
- sensor integration
- autonomous inventory monitoring
- robotic restocking support
- intelligent store navigation
- demand forecasting
- adaptive pricing
- digital twins
- cashier-less shopping
- energy optimization
- store simulation
- multi-store coordination
These are long-term directions, not requirements for the initial implementation.
Physical stores contain many disconnected systems:
inventory software, POS terminals, shelves, scanners, cameras, pricing systems, carts, warehouses, and customer applications.
Store Next explores a different approach:
What if the entire physical store was designed as one programmable system?
Status: Early Development
The repository is being built from scratch.
The first objective is to establish the fundamental store model before implementing higher-level automation.
Store Next is part of Dev Collaboration Hub.
Contributions related to retail software, backend systems, automation, simulation, UI/UX, data systems, embedded systems, computer vision, or experimental store technologies are welcome as the project grows.
Dev Collaboration Hub / Store Next
https://github.com/dev-collaboration-hub/store-next
Store Next is not just software for running today's store.
It is an experiment in building the software architecture of tomorrow's store.