Tesco brings autonomous store system to high traffic urban environment

Tesco is set to deploy its Trigo powered autonomous store system in a second UK location.

Chief Executive Ken Murphy says: “We have a system installed in our Express store in Welwyn Garden City (at head office), and we’re extending that to another store to check it in a more urban environment.”

He adds: “It’s been opened about a year now, and it’s working really well… One of the joys of machine learning is it is continuously improving, so we’re feeling confident that we can put it into another store with a higher traffic.”

According to social media chatter, the store in question can be found in High Holborn, on the edge of the City of London.

Last year, this became the retailer’s first cashless store in central London. And now it has now been refurbished and kitted out with the likes of cameras and computer servers.

It may not be the first cashless Tesco, but this is no ordinary Express. Ceiling covered with cameras and computer servers, 20-somethings with laptops and tape measures moving stock & filling/emptying baskets. Will this be Tesco’s first till-less store? You saw it here first… https://t.co/yj6ZasDXGo pic.twitter.com/Vh6B3d9xIh
— Kien Tan (@kientan74) June 30, 2021

However, Tesco is remaining tight lipped on the location. It is set to share more details in the coming months.

Amazon Fresh

Amazon recently opened an Amazon Fresh location in Camden, London.

It is the fifth such convenience store to feature Just Walk Out Shopping tech, which was pioneered at the Amazon Go offering in the States, in the UK.

The other four are in Ealing, Wembley Park, White City and Canary Wharf. Opening hours are from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days a week.