discounters
Aldi without cash register or scanning – supermarket of the future opened
Classic Aldi branch in London.
© Anthony Devlin/ / Picture Alliance
You can now shop at this Aldi with just one app. In a test branch, cameras record the purchase, you only have to pack up and when you leave the branch, the debit is made. But there is a problem with the special offers.
A supermarket without a cashier is the dream of many grocery chains. Previous attempts were not really successful. They were based on the idea that the customers simply do the work of the staff. They still had to go to a cash register and then pull the goods over the scanner themselves. Or was allowed to go through the store with the scanner.
Aldi is now trying again in the UK. In a test branch in Greenwich, London, customers can pay without a till or scanner. To do this, they must download the Aldi Shop&Go app. When you exit the store, your account will be debited for the purchases. Before entering the shop, you have to register, then the app generates a QR code that you can use to get through the entry barrier. Amazon has already introduced a similar system.
Small and tidy
The branch in Greenwich is smaller and overall tidier than the other shops, writes the “Sun”. But the reporter was disappointed that there was only the permanent range and no special offers in the aisle. That needs to be worked on. The other customers also missed the attractive offers.
Rajdeep S. said: “I check my phone every week to see what’s on offer. It’s really good for school uniforms. You expect something new every time.” Lisa B, was also disappointed: “Where’s the aisle? Normally I could spend all day checking that aisle.”
The disappointment was to be expected. Many customers study the Aldi brochure carefully and of course expect these offers in the shop.
Without offers
The purchase is recorded via seamless camera surveillance. Face recognition even finds out whether customers are old enough to buy alcohol. However, proof can also be provided via the employees. However, the system does not collect any biometric data. The challenges are high. It must be recognized when a group of customers is filling a shopping basket together. It also becomes complicated when very similar products with different prices are close together on the shelf. As is the case with chocolate bars, for example.
To do this, it is necessary to overcome psychological barriers. Test customers found it difficult to put the goods directly in their shopping bag, although that is actually a relief. The Greenwich branch is also an idealized environment. Only customers who have registered via the app can currently shop here. If the system were to be rolled out, the branches would also have to allow traditional checkout shopping, at least for a transitional period. During the test run, there is also a problem with the receipt. It only arrives after 20 minutes, so suspicious customers cannot check it in the branch.
Will the system prevail? The reporter is skeptical, she didn’t like the late receipt at all, even though everything was correct. And one thing is certain: an Aldi branch without the special offers and the goods from the middle aisle has no chance if a better-stocked Aldi is nearby.