The first results of Aldi Nord’s pilot project with a cashier-less store in Utrecht are promising. The retailer is therefore entering into a strategic partnership with technology provider Trigo.
Test environment
In July this year, Aldi opened a cashier-less Shop&Go city store in the Dutch city of Utrecht. Shoppers check in with the app, can take the products they want, and scan a QR code at the exit, after which the groceries are automatically paid for. 475 cameras and 450 scales record the purchases. That test project is going well, it seems, and Aldi is already looking to take new steps.
“We don’t have final reports yet, but the first results are promising”, says Sinanudin Omerhodzic, chief technology officer at Aldi Nord: “We are now building on this, further developing the Aldi Shop & Go concept and the advanced technology behind it.” He envisages linking with other software applications – for example, real-time monitoring of stock levels to minimise sold-out or expired items. “Discount meets computer vision technology 2.0”, he calls it.
With the Shop & Go concept in Utrecht, Aldi Nord and Trigo have a test environment in which these and other digital solutions can be put into practice. This is why the two companies are now entering into a strategic partnership to jointly develop technological solutions that will make shopping even easier for Aldi customers. “To successfully lead discount into the future, technology and business must go hand in hand,” said Omerhodzic.
