Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has announced that it is opening its first checkout-free AH To Go store in Amsterdam this summer.
The retailer began testing its checkout-less technology, 'Tap to Go', last December, at its head office in Zaandam, but has plans to equip nearly 80 AH To Go convenience stores in the Netherlands with the new system in the future.
The technology allows customers to shop and pay for groceries without needing to scan goods at a cash register.
Instead, users scan in-store electronic shelf labels with their Albert Heijn card as they shop, which registers the item and places it in their digital basket. This can be reviewed, and payment can be completed through the retailer's smartphone app.
Tech Innovation
“The technical developments are happening quickly, and we are ready to start now, so why wait?” said Jan-Willem Dockheer, managing director of AH To Go, during the trial period.
“The sooner we begin, the more we learn. ‘Tap to Go’ responds to the need for speed and convenience that our customers expect on the go. That is why AH To Go is the perfect setting to test our latest innovation,” Dockheer added.
Retailers across the US, Europe and Asia have been experimenting with new checkout-free technologies, including Walmart, Coop Denmark and Auchan China.
Last month, online retail giant Amazon finally opened its checkout-free supermarket concept, Amazon Go, to the public.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
