Aldi has scrapped its checkout-free trial store in London, bringing an end to its experiment with “just walk out” shopping technology.
The retailer confirmed that its Shop & Go trial at its Greenwich High Road location has now concluded, with the store set to continue operating as a standard Aldi Local.
The concept store, which opened in 2022, used AI-powered cameras and sensors to track items customers removed from shelves, automatically charging them as they exited the store.
The technology mirrors systems used by Amazon in its Amazon Fresh “Just Walk Out” stores.
To enter the Aldi trial store, shoppers were required to either download the Shop & Go app and link a payment card, or tap their bank card at the entrance gate. A £10 pre-authorisation was taken before entry, which was later deducted from the final bill.
However, the deposit sparked frustration among some shoppers, particularly those who spent less than £10 or left without making a purchase, as refunds could take several days to process.
Some customers also complained they were not clearly warned about the pre-authorisation amount before tapping their card at the gate.
Despite the criticism, reactions from shoppers were mixed. While some customers reported using the app without issues, others said they avoided the store because of the payment system.
An Aldi spokesperson said the trial had always been intended as a temporary concept.
“Whilst our Shop & Go trial has now come to an end as planned, our Greenwich High Road store will remain open as an Aldi Local, ensuring customers can still get everything they need at unbeatable Aldi prices,” they said.
“This was a concept store designed so that shoppers don’t have to manually pay for items – they can simply place things in the basket and the store’s camera technology registers the purchase without them having to go to a till.”
The spokesperson added that the pre-payment was intended to confirm a customer’s payment method had sufficient funds, describing it as similar to the way ride-hailing services pre-authorise payments.
The move reflects a broader rethink across the industry around checkout-free retail technology, with several retailers reassessing the cost and complexity of the systems after initial experimentation.
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