Value grocer Aldi has become the latest food retailer to unveil a checkout-free store.

The first Aldi Shop&Go opened on Tuesday morning (January 18) “for public testing” in Greenwich, London, following a test period with staff over the last few months.

Customers download the Aldi Shop&Go app, enabling them to enter the 5,242sq ft store, pick up their goods, and walk straight out afterward. Once a customer leaves the shop they are automatically charged using their selected payment method, and a receipt appears in the app.

The technology is powered by Aldi partner AiFi and 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.

For customers wishing to purchase alcohol and tobacco, facial age estimation technology will be available to authorise purchases linked to the app. 

Aldi dips into the world of checkout-free stores

Aldi UK and Ireland chief executive Giles Hurley 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 is really excited about seeing customers come in and experience Aldi Shop&Go.”

Aldi is the latest to pilot a checkout-free store. Tesco opened its first such branch in central London last autumn, followed shortly after by Sainsbury’s which had previously experimented with a similar format. The trend was sparked by Amazon, which opened its first UK Amazon Go shop a year ago.