Trigo, an Israel-based computer vision company that builds systems for autonomous checkout and retail analytics, has rolled out Germany’s first fully-autonomous cashierless supermarket in partnership with German grocery giant REWE Group.
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“The first fully autonomous REWE store marks the beginning of the second test phase of REWE Pick&Go, the company’s innovation project. The two hybrid test markets have shown that autonomous shopping with REWE Pick&Go is an exciting, convenient, and time-saving alternative to traditional shopping”
The new “Pick&Go” supermarket in the Bavarian capital Munich allows customers to walk in, select their items off the shelves, and leave without having to pay at checkout. Unlike self-checkout devices such as stationary or mobile scanners and digital carts, Pick&Go shoppers only scan once on their phones when they enter the store. When they leave they get the receipt automatically.
Trigo’s computer vision algorithms –running off data produced by ceiling-mounted cameras and shelf sensors– create a 3D “digital twin” of the store. The system logs shoppers’ movements inside the store and correlates that with data on items they pick from the shelves. The algorithms can also be used to monitor inventory levels in real time, and detect items that have been misplaced or stolen.
The German grocery giant, which operates over 3,700 stores in Germany, has already successfully trialed and opened two Trigo-powered “Pick&Go” grocery stores, first in Cologne and then Berlin. Whereas in those stores shoppers can also use conventional checkout if they wish, the Munich store is fully cashierless, making it Germany’s first fully automated supermarket.
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Frictionless shopping is gaining traction as grocery giants scramble to match consumer expectations for convenience, while keeping costs down and optimizing inventory and supply chains. Amazon’s expansion into grocery –including its Just Walk Out Fresh and Go formats–is also a factor in the increasing interest in frictionless checkout.
In addition to REWE’s three stores, Trigo’s solutions are currently deployed with some of the world’s leading grocery retailers, including Tesco PLC in the UK, ALDI Nord in The Netherlands, Netto Marken-Discount (also known as Netto) in Munich, Israel’s Shufersal, and Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S.
Michael Gabay, Trigo co-founder and CEO said: “REWE’s new Pick&Go store in Munich is a major milestone in our mission to make frictionless shopping available to everyone, everywhere. REWE have placed their trust in Trigo’s privacy-by-design architecture, and we look forward to bringing this exciting technology to German grocery shoppers.”
Other innovations unveiled at the Munich store include group purchases, where families, friends and colleagues can enter the store together, gather items, and walk out, with payment and invoicing going to the person whose QR code was used to enter the store. Furthermore, customers in the Munich store can pay for their purchases via Paypal, Google Pay, Apple Pay or credit card. The system does not use facial recognition or any other biometric features, and complies with Germany’s strict data protection rules.
“The first fully autonomous REWE store marks the beginning of the second test phase of REWE Pick&Go, the company’s innovation project. The two hybrid test markets have shown that autonomous shopping with REWE Pick&Go is an exciting, convenient, and time-saving alternative to traditional shopping,” said Peter Maly, Managing Director, Rewe Markt GmbH.
Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs and the state’s Deputy President, Hubert Aiwanger, attended the opening. “This innovative concept shows how digitization in everyday life can generate concrete added value for customers. It’s a new, comfortable shopping experience. If this technology catches on in retail, queues at the cash registers will soon be a thing of the past,” Minister Aiwanger said.
Despite being fully automated, REWE’s Munich Pick&Go store will retain its full complement of 11 staff members, who are tasked with answering customers’ questions and guiding them through the experience, restocking shelves, approving age-limited items, and other customer-facing activities.
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