Not only Amazon is working on the idea of shopping without having to wait at the checkout. As the operator of the supermarkets of the same name, the Rewe Group is testing with “Pick & amp; Go “is a kind of counterpart to Amazon Go. With the help of an app, cameras and sensors, customers should do their shopping in the Rewe store without visiting the cash register.
Rewe tests Pick & amp; Go in Cologne
First the “Pick & amp; Go “called technology as a test phase in a Rewe store in downtown Cologne. From the beginning of May, some employees will be able to shop there without paying at the checkout. After a successful test phase, regular customers should also have this option from late summer 2021.
For the “autonomous checkout” without paying at the cash register, customers have to register with a special app at the entrance gate to the market. Cameras and sensors in the shelves register which goods have been removed. After that, customers should be able to simply walk out with their shopping, the invoice will then appear automatically in the app, which can also be used to process complaints. No information has yet been given about the actual payment process. The store staff or a hotline will continue to be available to answer questions. The option of classic payment at the checkout will also continue to exist.
According to Rewe, customers are “not personally identifiable on the images captured for the purchase”. Data protection notices should also be placed in the entrance area. If the concept proves itself in the internal test designed to last several weeks, Pick & amp; Go in late summer.
Technology comes from Trigo
According to its own information, Rewe has been dealing with the topic for over two years and has worked with Trigo Vision Ltd. found a project partner who specializes in AI-supported computer vision technology for future markets.
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Trigo's solution creates a 3D model of a supermarket to digitally map the surroundings and the movements within, so customers can select items and go out with them while protecting their privacy.
Rewe Group
As it goes on, the Cologne Rewe store on Zeppelinstrasse is “one of the first supermarkets in Europe to enable hybrid shopping in this way under real conditions.”
At Edeka and Netto, the customer scans himself
Payment by app without waiting at the checkout Rewe competitors Edeka and Netto have already introduced them in some markets. However, customers not only have to use a special app for this, but also scan their purchase themselves with their smartphone.
The online retailer Amazon already had the The idea of a cash register-free supermarket was implemented and the first of its kind opened in Seattle (USA). In the meantime, Amazon is making the technology behind it available to other companies under the name “Just Walk Out”.
Even earlier ideas for the cash-free retail store envisaged the use of RFID chips , which are colloquially referred to as radio tags. The RFID technology was initially considered too expensive, but its use for this purpose is still being pursued.