concessionaire
Aldi – the supermarket of the future opened without a cash register or scanning
Classic Aldi branch in London.
© Anthony Devlin // Picture Alliance
Now you can shop with this Aldi with just one app. In a test branch, the cameras record the purchase, all you have to do is pack up and when you leave the branch, it is debited. But there is a problem with special offers.
A supermarket without cashiers is the dream of many grocery chains. Previous attempts were not really successful. They were based on the idea that customers only do the work of employees. They still had to go to a cash register and then pull the luggage over the scanner. Or were allowed to pass through the store with a scanner.
Aldi is now trying again in the UK. At a test branch in Greenwich, London, customers can pay without a till or scanner. To do so, they need to download the Aldi Shop&Go app. When you leave the store, your account will be debited for purchases. Before entering the shop, you must 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 organized
The branch in Greenwich is smaller and overall cleaner than other stores, “Sun” writes. But the reporter was disappointed that there was only permanent range and no special offers in the corridor. Need to work on that. Other customers also missed out on attractive offers.
Rajdeep S said: “I check my phone every week to see what’s on offer. It’s really cool to have school uniforms. You look forward to something new every time.” Lisa B., too, was disappointed: “Where’s the aisle? Normally I could spend all day checking that aisle.”
Disappointment was to be expected. Many customers carefully study Aldi brochures and certainly expect these offers in the store.
without offer
Purchases are recorded through seamless camera surveillance. Face recognition also lets you know whether customers are old enough to buy alcohol. However, proof can also be provided through employees. However, the system does not collect any biometric data. The challenges are many. It should be recognized when a group of customers together fill the shopping cart. It also gets complicated when very similar products with different prices are on the shelf together. For example, in the case of a chocolate bar.
To do this, it is necessary to overcome psychological barriers. Test customers found it difficult to put the goods directly in their shopping bags, though that’s actually a relief. The Greenwich branch is also a perfect environment. Only customers who have registered through the app can currently shop here. If the system were to be implemented, branches would also have to enable traditional checkout purchases, at least for transitions. There is also a problem with the receipt during the investigation. It comes only after 20 minutes, so suspicious customers cannot check it at the branch.
Will the system work? The reporter suspects, he didn’t like the late receipt at all, even though everything was perfect. And one thing is certain: an Aldi branch without special offers and merchandise from the middle aisle has no chance if there is a better-stocked Aldi nearby.
