Business
First checkout-free Tesco store opens in London
Tesco has launched a checkout-free store where shoppers can pick up groceries and leave without having to go to a till.
It is the latest supermarket giant to open an outlet where hi-tech cameras track the items consumers are buying.
The new store, named GetGo, opens in London’s High Holborn today – the same branch that was the first to go cashless.
Hi-tech cameras will pick up what customers buy, while weight sensors on shelves will also determine which products are sold
Amazon opened its first Amazon Go shop in the UK in February before expanding to five more sites, and Aldi also launched a till-free shop last month.
Tesco has been testing “frictionless” technology at a trial site in its Welwyn Garden City headquarters since 2019.
Customers will need to use Tesco’s app to use to store, scanning it as they enter.
They will pick up the items they wish to buy and walk straight out of the shop, receiving a receipt and being charged for products when they have left.
There is also a section of the store specifically for age-restricted products, with a separate exit where staff will check ID.
Customers will simply scan a barcode to enter the store and they’ll receive a receipt when they exit
Cameras and weight sensors will register the items people pick up, and Tesco has stressed the move away from till staff will not reduce the number of people employed.
The Holborn branch will continue to employ 22 workers, which the supermarket chain says is in line with other convenience stores.
Kevin Tindall, managing director of Tesco Convenience, said: “We are constantly looking for ways to improve the shopping experience and our latest innovation offers a seamless checkout for customers on the go, helping them to save a bit more time.
“This is currently just a one-store trial, but we’re looking forward to seeing how our customers respond.”