Israeli Supermarket Machsanei Hashuk Deploys WalkOut Smart Cart

Israeli supermarket chain Machsanei Hashuk is rolling out fully autonomous checkout in all 62 of its stores as soon as next month through an agreement with WalkOut, the companies announced Thursday (Dec. 9).

More than 60% of shoppers prefer to buy brands that have physical locations, but more than 70% of shoppers say they get frustrated standing in line to check out and that detracts from their shopping experiences. WalkOut takes consumers through the entire purchase journey with a retrofit smart cart that eliminates long queues and creates personalized shopping experiences for customers.

“Connecting to one of the largest retail chains in Israel is an exciting opportunity and an important milestone for us,” Assaf Gedalia, CEO and co-ounder of WalkOut, said in the announcement. “The solution is futuristic, personalized, and at the same time preserves the customer’s privacy.”

WalkOut uses a mountable cart device equipped with several high-precision cameras that recognize products and identify the items shoppers put in their carts or remove with 99.2% accuracy. The device uses edge computing and machine vision algorithms to track the customer’s journey and offers personalized recommendations, store navigation and promotions on a large touchscreen.

“As a chain that advocates innovative technologies, we wanted to offer our customers significant savings in waiting times at the checkouts and provide a more personal, accessible and efficient shopping experience,” said Shalom Naaman, CEO and owner of Machsanei Hashuk.

Related: Amazon to Pilot ‘Just Walk Out’ Tech at Whole Foods Locations

In September, Amazon announced it would try its Just Walk Out technology at Whole Foods locations in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood and Sherman Oaks, Calif., an implementation that will give shoppers the option of skipping the checkout line when it debuts in 2022.

Shoppers at Just Walk Out-equipped stores don’t need an Amazon account or the app, as long as they enter the store with a credit card. The technology automatically detects which items people keep and tracks everything in a virtual cart.

Whole Foods shoppers can use Just Walk Out by scanning the QR code in the Whole Foods or Amazon app, waving their palm using Amazon One or inserting a credit or debit card linked to their Amazon accounts.