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Aldi’s new vibe: No friction, no problem. The company will soon pilot its first cashierless store in the Netherlands.
Grab and go: Using Trigo algorithmic technology, the Aldi Nord store will track shoppers' movements and product selections within the store to let shoppers pay digitally without stopping at cash wrap. (No, this is not a Black Mirror grocery-store bottle episode. The system doesn’t use facial recognition or any other biometric scans or identifiers...but still.)
“With frictionless technology, the general public will be able to experience ease of shopping, while retailers will benefit from better inventory control, shrinkage reduction, as well as a positive customer service focus,” Michael Gabay, Trigo cofounder and CEO, said in a statement.
Aldi joins a growing group of retailers embracing frictionless tech. Amazon, for example, has been using its “Just Walk Out” system at Amazon Go, Amazon Fresh, and some Whole Foods stores. It also began licensing its tech to other retailers like airport giant Hudson.
- Verizon recently held its Express Shop pop-up, where shoppers tapped their credit cards to enter and had their purchases tracked by AI-powered cameras.
+1: Meanwhile, Aldi Süd is introducing its own take on frictionless shopping with its first checkout-free store in southeast London. Fancy that!—JG