Aldi UK joins Amazon and Tesco in checkout free stores race
Aldi UK is trialling new checkout free technology in one of its London stores.
The discount retailer says that the tech will allow customers to scan a smartphone app to enter the store, pick up their shopping, and walk out without the need to pay at a till.
They will then receive an email receipt and be charged automatically using their chosen payment method.
A press release did not mention where in London the trial is taking place, or which tech firm Aldi is working with on the project.
It did reveal, however, that staff are currently involved in the test, and further testing will be carried out with the public.
Giles Hurley, Aldi UK and Ireland boss, says: “We are always looking to redefine what it means to be a discount retailer, and the technology involved in this trial will give us a wealth of learnings.”
Also in the race…
Earlier this month, Amazon opened an Amazon Fresh location in Dalston, London.
Situated at 28-31 Kingsland High Street, it is the sixth such UK convenience store to feature Just Walk Out Shopping tech, which was pioneered at the Amazon Go offering in the States.
The other five are in Camden, Ealing, Wembley Park, White City and Canary Wharf. Opening hours are from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days a week.
Customers use the Amazon app to enter and put their phone away and shop for what they need. At the end of their visit, they can head for the exit, with no need to stand in a queue or check out.
Amazon is planning further openings in the greater London area, with reports suggesting Bankside could be next, although it has not revealed exact numbers or locations.
In July, meanwhile, Tesco deployed its Trigo powered version of Amazon’s Just Walk Out offering in a second UK location (High Holborn, on the edge of the City of London).
Tapping AI and computer vision technology, the Easyout solution enables shoppers to walk into a store, check in via a QR code, select items for purchase and leave without having to bother with pesky checkouts.
Chief Executive Ken Murphy recently commented: “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 added: “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.”
