Tesco opens its first till-free shop where customers can fill their bag with groceries and leave without needing to queue at a checkout
- Tesco is launching its first checkout-free store today, where shoppers can pick up groceries and leave without the need for a till
- It is the latest retail giant to open a branch where high-tech cameras are used to track the items customers place in their baskets
- To use the shop, visitors will need to use the Tesco.com app, scanning this in as they enter
- They will then pick up the items they wish to buy and walk straight out of the store, getting a receipt and being charged for the products once they have left
Tesco is launching its first checkout-free high street store today, where shoppers can pick up groceries and leave without the need for a till.
It is the latest retail giant to open a branch where high-tech cameras are used to track the items customers place in their baskets.
The firm’s trial, which it has called GetGo, is opening in Holborn, central London.
To use the shop, visitors will need to use the Tesco.com app, scanning this in as they enter.
Tesco is launching its first checkout-free high street store today, where shoppers can pick up groceries and leave without the need for a till
They will then pick up the items they wish to buy and walk straight out of the store, getting a receipt and being charged for the products once they have left.
It will register the items people pick up using cameras as well as weight sensors to recognise when items are taken off shelves.
Amazon opened its first Amazon Go grocery shop in the UK in March, before expanding to five more sites, while Aldi opened its own till-free shop last month.
The new model of shopping is taking place in a Tesco Express it launched as a cashless store in 2018.
It stressed that the move away from cashiers will not reduce the number of staff employed in stores, with the High Holborn site continuing to employ 22 workers, which it says is in line with other convenience stores.
There is also a section in the store specifically for age-restricted products, with a separate exit where staff will check ID.
It will register the items people pick up using cameras as well as weight sensors to recognise when items are taken off shelves
Kevin Tindall, managing director of Tesco Convenience, said: ‘This is a really exciting moment for Tesco as we launch GetGo with customers.
‘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.’
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