
Last year, Amazon brought the first checkout-free stores to the UK, opening a number of sites around London. The aim? To provide a seamless shopping experience without queues and hassle. Amazon Fresh opened first in Ealing, allowing customers to simply walk in, pick up the items they needed, and leave (thanks to their trusty smartphones).
Fast forward to 2022, and we have Aldi’s take on the idea, with their first checkout-free store opening in Greenwich earlier this week.
Aldi Shop&GO is here, also doing away with tills and self-checkouts, and ready for its first round of public testing. Prior to this, Aldi workers had been using the service in order to get it ready for opening.
All customers need to do is download the ALDI Shop&GO app, hit up the store for a weekly shop, then walk out. Frighteningly simple, right?
After you walk out, your smartphone will be recognised and you’ll be charged for the shop, with a receipt appearing in your app. Specially positioned cameras around the shop will detecting what items you’ve picked up. And don’t worry; you can prove your age in the app beforehand if you need to pick up a nice bottle of red to go with dinner.
Giles Hurley, CEO of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “Today is the culmination of months of work, not least from the team here in Greenwich and I’m looking forward to seeing how customers react to our trial.
“This store utilises the very latest in retail technology offering Aldi’s award-winning products and unbeatable prices to customers in a new and innovative way. The team are really excited about seeing customers come in and experience Aldi Shop&Go.”
If this trial goes well, it could open up the possibility of more checkout-free Aldi stores across the country.
Find Aldi Shop&Go at 245, 247 Greenwich High Road, SE10 8NB.