Tesco opens second Trigo powered autonomous store and preps two more

Tesco has announced an expansion of its GetGo autonomous stores trial, with Chiswell Street Express open from today in central London.

There will also be another location in London and one in Birmingham, allowing customers to shop and pay without scanning a product or using a checkout.

Like Chiswell Street, these will also offer the option of using a self-service or attended checkout if preferred.

The sites in Fulham Reach Express in Parrs Way, London, and Aston University Express in Aston, Birmingham are due to open over the next few months.

Tesco launched its first GetGo store in High Holborn in October 2021, which will continue to offer a purely checkout-free model.

Shoppers need to download the Tesco app and select the GetGo option. They can then walk in and pick their shopping, before scanning their app as they walk out.

Continuing Tesco's partnership with Trigo, a combination of cameras and weight sensors will establish what customers have picked up and charge them for products directly through the app when they leave the store.

There is a section specifically for age restricted products, with a separate exit where Tesco colleagues will manually conduct age verification.

Kevin Tindall, Managing Director for Tesco Convenience, says: “We are excited to expand our trial of GetGo and to see what customers think about our new hybrid model, which offers them different options for seamless shopping.”

“Whether customers choose the checkout-free option or prefer to use a checkout, we want to make the shopping trip as quick and convenient as possible.”

Michael Gabay, CEO at Trigo, says: “What’s exciting about the Chiswell store is that, similar to the High Holborn store, it is in a high traffic area filled with on the go shoppers who are ideal candidates for frictionless shopping.”

“Building off the experience from previous stores, user research, and testing, Tesco and Trigo wanted an additional way to provide its on the go demographic with the best shopping experience, so this location will be Tesco’s first hybrid autonomous store in London.”

He adds: “The expansion into additional stores is the culmination of the success of the pilot in Welwyn Garden City and the fully autonomous store on High Holborn in London.”

“It is also a testament to the strong partnership between Trigo and Tesco, whose commitment to creating the best customer experience through innovation has constantly pushed the boundaries of our technology towards new solutions and products that set the standard for autonomous store technology.”

Funding round

Last week, Trigo bagged $100 million in funding, reaching a total of $204 million raised to date.

The investment was led by Singapore state investment firm Temasek (TEM.UL), and 83North.

New strategic investors included SAP and existing backers also joined the round, including Hetz Ventures, Red Dot Capital Partners, Vertex Ventures, Viola, and supermarket giant REWE Group.