In Germany, most supermarket chains are still in the test phase for cashierless stores. A pioneer here: REWE. After two hybrid test stores in Cologne and Berlin and the first checkout-less test store in Munich, the fourth REWE Pick&Go test store opened in Cologne in March 2023: a hybrid supermarket that, at 600 square meters, is the largest in Germany. Here, customers can opt for the classic payment method at the checkout or for an autonomous checkout.
If the customer chooses the latter, he or she registers at the store's entrance barrier using REWE's Pick&Go app. Now they can take all the products they want from the shelves, pack them up - and simply leave the store at the end. Billing is completely automatic via the app. At the heart of the REWE Pick&Go system are intelligent cameras and weight sensors in the shelves, as well as other high-tech components such as servers, switches and high-speed network cables. The system records the anatomical characteristics of every person in the store and assigns each one a number. Biometric data is not stored. Every arm movement when reaching for the shelf is recognized and evaluated as an action: Does she reach for another apple? Does he put his yogurt back?
REWE is working with Trigo Vision Ltd. on these pilot projects. The Israel-based company specializes in computer vision technology and, in addition to REWE, is also designing the pilot projects of grocery store giants such as Netto in Munich and Tesco in London.
The supermarket brands mentioned above see the "Just Walk Out" principle as a milestone on the way to the shopping world of tomorrow. But will self-service or autonomous shopping really become established across the board in the coming years? Who dares to say? Because if there's one thing you can rely on in the customer journey, it's constant change.