London is opening the first market outside of the U.S. to use Amazon’s white-labeled Just Walk Out technology, Bloomberg reported Monday (Nov. 15), citing sources who said that Amazon Sainsbury’s is expected to open to the public Nov. 29.
Sainsbury’s is calling the new offering SmartShop Pick & Go, and its High Holborn location will be the first store to use the technology with customers, as it is already using the technology for Sainsbury’s employees. An unnamed source told Bloomberg that the technology was supplied by Amazon.
Shoppers will be able to scan their smartphones on the way into the market, and ceiling cameras will track what they take from the shelves. Customers are then charged a predetermined payment method on the way out.
See also: Amazon to Pilot ‘Just Walk Out’ Tech at Whole Foods Locations
“We regularly trial new and convenient ways for customers to shop with us and we’re currently testing an upgraded version of SmartShop with colleagues at one of our Holborn stores,” Sainsbury’s said in a statement. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
Located on Holborn Street in Central London, the store is not far from a cashierless Tesco Express, which uses technology from Israeli startup Trigo Vision Ltd.
Read more: Starbucks Eyes Cashierless Stores With Help From Amazon
The first Go store opened at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters in 2018 and there are now about 24 Amazon Go stores in the U.S. that are built with Just Walk Out Technology, and six in the greater London area operating under the Amazon Fresh banner.
The technology is also installed in some of Amazon’s full-sized Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the U.S., and is coming to select stores operated by Amazon’s Whole Foods Market subsidiary.
The second-largest grocery chain in the U.S. following Tesco, Sainsbury’s is the highest-profile client for Amazon’s third-party technology, despite the two being rivals.
Some developers of cashierless shopping technology that compete with Amazon’s Go have said that some retailers won’t use Amazon’s tech, and have even urged their suppliers to sidestep Amazon Web Services, Bloomberg reported.
You may also enjoy: London Supermarket Tesco Trials Cashierless GetGo To Rival Amazon Go
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More