Aldi UK ditches Greenwich, South East London Shop & Go checkout-free store experiment

Aldi UK is binning its checkout-free stores trial and converting its only Shop & Go location to a standard Aldi Local with self-service.

The store in Greenwich, South East London went live in 2022 at a time when checkout-free stores were being touted by many industry observers as the next big thing in retail. But the technology never really took off in the UK, with high profile failures including Amazon ditching its ambitious Just Walk Out technology powered Amazon Fresh experiment, just four years after the US online giant launched its first grocery store in London.

An Aldi spokesperson said: “Whilst our Shop & Go trial has now come to an end as planned, our Greenwich High Road store will remain open as an Aldi Local, ensuring customers can still get everything they need at unbeatable Aldi prices.”

Changing times

Last year, Aldi said it was making changes to Shop & Go, moving from a tap in to a hybrid experience.

In a LinkedIn post, Lennart Hoffmann, Lead Engineer Seamless Stores at Aldi DX, said: “Since opening our first checkout-free Shop & Go store in London in 2022, we have continuously evolved the customer experience to make shopping faster, easier, and more convenient. After introducing tap in during December 2023, we are excited to announce the next big step in our journey: Shop & Go is going hybrid.”

He added: “Our new hybrid store model puts customer choice at the forefront - keeping the ease of checkout-free shopping while bringing the concept closer to the traditional Aldi shopping experience.”

As with any other Aldi store, customers could just walk in. At the exit, they could choose how they wanted to pay: use the retailer’s app or tap on a fast lane, or try new self-checkout terminals. These let people manually scan their items or use an AiFi powered checkout system.

Hoffmann added: “This evolution reflects our commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of our customers. We’re offering more flexibility to suit different shopping preferences while maintaining speed and convenience. We’re proud of this milestone and look forward to welcoming customers to the new Shop & Go experience.”

Piers Corbyn

In 2023, the Greenwich store was targeted by Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and also a climate change denier, anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist.

In a video posted on social media, Corbyn could be seen holding a box of strawberries and putting down cash on a help table.

“This is a new dystopian store where you’re gonna be tracked when buying things,” he declared.

“I’m gonna buy some strawberries and I’m offering exactly the right amount of money. I’ve paid with legal tender. So you people take that money and I will take my strawberries outside.”

A staff member replied: “You can’t take that. The police are on the way.”

Corbyn then headed for the exit, whilst encouraging staff members to call the police.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Checkout free stores will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.