Tesco is fighting back against Amazon with its first walk-out grocery store where it is possible to buy groceries without having to scan items or visit a till.
The supermarket's GetGo store in Holborn, central London follows a small trial of a similar store at Tesco head office in Welwyn Garden City which has been selling goods to the retailer s staff since 2019.
The weight sensors on shelves work with a AI system that can track an individual s movement in the store and monitor the items they pick up via cameras, which can follow each individual. The AI system works by building a unique skeleton outline of each person rather than facial recognition.
The merchant must download Tesco.com app to get to the store, where they check in from scanning a QR code generated on their mobile phone. Once inside, shoppers can pick up the items they want without scanning them. The bill is automatically charged to a Tesco account after they leave the shop.
The shop looks very similar to any other Tesco Express location with the usual range of goods, from fresh flowers and alcohol to sandwiches, ready meals and bakery items. Cigarettes and alcohol are sold in a separate zone where a member of staff, about a dozen of whom work any day, is present to check whether shoppers meet age restrictions.
The AI technology stored in the Holborn store has been developed in partnership with the specialist technology firm Trigo, led by two scientists who have previously worked in Israel Defence Forces. It is the first time it has been used by a UK retailer.
Tesco GetGo opens just over six months after Amazon launched its first grocery store in Ealing, West London, in the UK. The US retail and technology group has six of the Amazon Fresh outlets in the capital and is expected to open at least four more, including one almost opposite Tesco's Holborn outlet.
In 2019, Sainsbury's opened a till-free store nearby, but the outlet closed two months later after shoppers found scanning items with their phones too clunky. Kevin Tindall, the managing director of Tesco's convenience store business, said: We are always looking for ways to improve shopping experience and our latest innovation offers a seamless checkout for customers on the go, helping them to save a bit more time. This is a one-store trial currently, but we're looking forward to seeing how our customers react to this.