Shop and go
When the news bring on the weekend that Aldi was opening its first Shop&Go store with no tills in sight, I thought, okay, that’ll work. Oftentimes, you want to do the shop and leave. Seeing a queue after any length of shop is off-putting to say the least.
Till-less stores, where customers can just walk out with their purchases and will automatically be billed when they leave the store, is a plus for consumers on a mission-based/shopping list shop.
I do think it’ll help with a supermarket shop.
The Aldi Shop&Go concept store in Greenwich opened for public testing, having been tested by Aldi colleagues in recent months.
The new trial store, which is situated on Greenwich High Street, allows customers to complete their shop without scanning a single product, or having to go through a checkout.
Customers can download the Aldi Shop&Go app, which will allow them to enter the store, pick up their items, and then simply walk out when they have completed their shop. Once a customer leaves the store they will then be automatically charged for their shopping via their selected payment method and a receipt will appear in the app.
The system, provided by leading technology provider AiFi, uses specially positioned cameras to detect which products customers have picked up, before charging them to their Aldi Shop&Go account when they leave the store.
Customers wishing to purchase alcohol, or other Challenge 25 products, will be able to use facial age estimation technology to authorise their purchase. This technology, provided by Yoti, enables customers to confirm their identity within seconds via the Aldi Shop&Go app. Those who opt to not use the system will instead be age verified by a store colleague.
Till-less will be great for those categories where consumers conduct their own research – and shop according to their preferences. With preferences comes data, which at some point could add to the shopping experience. Customer insight and analytics can open up ideas for foods, ingredients to try, popular choices as well as new product development. It’s no longer a matter of just knowing what a customer has bought, but also how long they spent browsing aisles.
With the evolution of digital technology, till-less shops are inevitable. The likely impact on retail and consumers will need managing. I don’t see an end to traditional shopping just because of convenience. Both will co-exist as they meet different needs and for different food and drink categories. What’s important is that retailers and manufacturers both are smart and responsive to the introduction of this technology that what will keep consumers eating and drinking.
- Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology.
Keep in touch via email: rodney@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.
