// Tesco refurbishes Holborn Express store to reopen it as the first “just walk out” site
// The technology is not yet operational as Tesco said it would announce further details soon
Tesco has spruced up its Express store in London’s High Holborn as it reopens the site as its first “just walk out” branch.
The Tesco Express store recently reopened after a period of refurbishment with new pay gates and a host of cameras installed in the ceiling.
While the technology is not yet operational, it is expected to be the first public-facing Tesco store equipped with its Trigo-powered version of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
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Tesco opened a Trigo tech-powered store as part of a trial for staff at its headquarters in Welwyn Garden City in 2018.
Chief executive Ken Murphy said that Tesco would be “extending the trial to another store to check it in a more urban environment”.
“One of the joys of machine learning is it is continuously improving, so we’re feeling confident that we can put it into another store with higher traffic,” he said.
The store will use computer-vision-powered technology that supports checkout-free retail experiences, converting existing stores so customers can enter, select the items they want, pay on their device and leave the store.
Tesco has not announced a date for when the technology would go live but said the grocer would announce details when there was a date for the store’s opening.
The news comes as Amazon continues opening its tech-driven c-store Fresh format across the UK, having recently opened its fifth store in north London.
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