In London, an experiment with cashierless stores failed

The German discount chain Aldi closed its experimental cashierless store in London, deeming the project “unsuccessful.” It was launched in 2022; the company tested cameras and sensors with artificial intelligence that tracked items taken by customers from the shelves, after which the total cost was automatically debited from their cards upon exiting the store. In other words, to make a purchase at a cashierless location, the customer only needed to take the desired item and leave the store. But that was in theory.

The same technology was used by Amazon in its Amazon Fresh “Just Walk Out” stores. All of them closed by February 1 of this year, because, as it turned out, a huge staff of human workers double-checked the information collected by the sensors, and card charges were made with errors and delays.

The innovation did not pay off at all, and it was decided to replace it with Dash Cart—smart carts that scan product codes, weigh items if necessary, and generate a receipt for payment. Other retailers are also adopting such carts: the Belgian retail chain Colruyt tested Dash Cart at a small location in Halle, and now plans to install them in Kessel‑Lo and Waterloo. They note that the smart carts help customers control their budget because they display the final cost of the purchase in real time. And saving on groceries and minimizing shopping time is becoming increasingly relevant within the modern consumption model.

Smart carts already account for 10% of all purchases in Halle.