The services arm of Ahold Delhaize has rolled out a new frictionless store pilot, which allows customers to shop by “scanning in, shopping and walking out”.

The supermarket’s Retail Business Services (RBS) team partnered with digital technology provider UST Global to develop the new frictionless store format, which it calls ‘lunchbox’. The 300 sq ft trial store is currently being housed in RBS’ offices in Quincy, Massachusetts.

The store is powered by Ahold’s app and lets shoppers into the store and charges them for purchases using artificial intelligence technology and payment options powered by PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

A spokeswoman for RBS said the trial store has worked with as many as 12 people shopping at one time and claimed the technology could accommodate a store footprint of up to 3,000 sq ft.

The store currently holds about 250 SKUs, including fresh items and convenience. The spokeswoman said: “[We will] continually evaluate and update the assortment based on shopper feedback.”

Chief information officer at RBS, Paul Scorza, said the lunchbox format is more efficient than other frictionless store concepts, is more cost-effective and can be implemented in a matter of weeks.

“Lunchbox is an easy, fresh shopping alternative,” said Scorza. “Once registered, shoppers simply scan in, shop and walk out. It’s that easy. And it offers fresh, healthy options 24/7. You can grab a snack, a salad, fresh fruit or even a carton of milk on your way home.

“We believed in this concept so much we brought it to our own office. Our cafeteria that serves more than 1,000 associates was being remodelled, and we were looking for a quick, cost-effective solution to give associates access to beverages, snacks and fresh items at a variety of hours. We implemented this solution in just six weeks.”

The technology will be on display at the National Retail Federation show in New York in January 2020.