It is open 24/7 and visitors can influence what it stocks

The unmanned shop has been open for almost two months

If you don’t like self-service check outs, this shop probably isn’t for you.

The unmanned shop, in the southern Sweden village of Viken, uses a smartphone app to allow customers to scan their own shopping, meaning no staff are required.

Its doors can also be unlocked at any time using a phone, meaning it's open 24-hours a day during an entire year.

An unmanned shop, in the southern Sweden village of Viken, uses a smartphone app to allow customers to scan their own shopping, meaning no staff are required. The futuristic staff-free shop was the idea of local resident Robert Ilijason and shop opened after the app was approved by Apple in January

The futuristic staff-free shop was the idea of local resident Robert Ilijason and it opened after the app was approved by Apple in January.

He had the idea to open a shop in his small Swedish village because he dropped his last jar of baby food at home and had to drive around 12.4 miles (20km) to find the nearest shop that was open at the time.

THE 'UNMANNED' SHOP The futuristic staff-free shop was the idea of local resident Robert Ilijason and shop opened after the app was approved by Apple in January. The idea for the shop is similar to unmanned gyms. It can stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because it does not require staff. Shoppers use the app on their smartphones to unlock the door and scan each purchase. They are then charged monthly for their purchases. To enter, people need to use a BankID - a Swedish ID solution used by the banks. The shop is also covered with security cameras. Advertisement

He thought there should be a store in his village open all the time, so started thinking about how to solve this problem in a modern and technical way.

The idea for the shop is similar to unmanned gyms.

It can stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because it does not require staff.

Shoppers use the app, called Näraffar or 'shop nearby' in Swedish, on their smartphones to unlock the door and scan each purchase.

They are then charged monthly for their purchases.

The customers are also be able to influence what the shop stocks, by requesting certain items if they are not already in stock.

So far Ilijason has been pleased with the shop because the technology has run smoothly, but it isn’t quite competing with supermarkets yet.

He has also thought of ways to combat any chance of people stealing from the shop.

A customer, Raymond Arvidsson, takes sweets from the display at the unmanned shop. Shoppers use the app, called Näraffar or 'shop nearby' in Swedish, on their smartphones to unlock the door and scan each purchase. They are then charged monthly for their purchases

Mr Arvidsson is pictured inside the unmanned shop

'To enter you need to use your app where you identify yourself using BankID which is a Swedish ID solution used by the banks,' he told MailOnline.

'So I know who you are and will only allow you in if you have no history of credit issues.

'Secondly, I have every inch of the store checked by at least one camera.'

‘My store has been successful in the dimension I care about; it's worked perfectly from a tech perspective.

'And to me that was the important part,’ Ilijason said.

He did admit, however, that the turnover is rather low.

'But that was expected as I intentionally opened in the wrong place,' he explained.

It's not been a huge success because it is 'in a quiet village that already has two stores,' he added.

'I opened it there because that's where I live.

'It will work better in other places.'

He wants to see this type of shop opening around the world.