LONDON—Tesco this week said it opened a checkout-free store in Central London. The store, called GetGo, is 2,500 square feet with about 2,500 SKUs and is located in High Holborn.

Customers must download the Tesco.com app and check in when they enter the store, and a combination of cameras and weight-sensors will establish what customers have picked up and charge them for products directly through the app when they leave the store. Tesco has partnered with Trigo on the launch.

“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,” said Kevin Tindall, managing director, Tesco Convenience.

For age-restricted products, there is a section in the store specifically for their purchase, along with a separate exit where Tesco employees will manually check ID verification.

The cameras do not use facial recognition technology but instead track body movements. Tesco says visual data from customers will not be stored or saved.

A similar checkout-free store has opened in Toronto called Aisle 24. Circle K partnered with Standard AI, a checkout technology company, to install an AI-powered checkout-free system in one of its stores in Tempe, Ariz.

Frictionless technology use has increased in convenience stores. NACS Magazine discussed how c-stores can deliver a frictionless experience in “The ‘Vision’ of Future Checkout” in the August 2020 issue.