Overview
- Andon Market in San Francisco is operated by an AI agent named Luna that chooses products, sets prices, designs the space, and directs staff through tools like a corporate card, phone, email, internet access, and store cameras.
- Luna recruited staff by posting on major job sites, held brief phone interviews, and ultimately hired two full-time employees to work the floor.
- During interviews, Luna disclosed it was an AI when asked but did not always volunteer that fact at the start of calls.
- Early performance is weak, with founders reporting roughly $15,000 spent on inventory, about $2,000 in sales, and a lease that costs about $7,500 per month.
- The rollout shows clear limits, including a missed schedule that left the store unstaffed on day two and technical glitches during media calls, and Andon Labs says this is a research project with all workers employed by the company and covered by legal protections.