Wakefern Food Corp. becomes first to try Trigo autonomous shopping technology in USA

Wakefern Food Corp. has opened The Pantry, a checkout-free convenience store for the workers at its Edison, New Jersey campus that features Trigo technology.

This uses computer vision with a series of cameras and shelf sensors to identify products picked up by people.

Wakefern is the first US company to test Trigo's technology, which has been deployed by several retailers in Europe and the UK, including REWE and Tesco.

“Our associates can shop The Pantry at work for groceries they need at home while simultaneously providing helpful feedback for us on the technology,” says Charles McWeeney, VP of Technology, Innovation and Strategy at Wakefern.

“The chance to evolve in the self-service space at retail is important and we hope to learn more about frictionless checkout and how we can potentially provide this cutting-edge and convenient technology to Wakefern member owned businesses.”

In a LinkedIn post, Shay Ziv, VP of Marketing at Trigo, said: “I’m excited to unveil the first Trigo powered store in the US in partnership with Wakefern Food Corp.”

“This exciting milestone signifies our entry into one of the largest retail markets in the world and solidifies autonomous stores as a key player in shaping the future of the industry.”

FUNDING ROUND

Last year, 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.