Aldi and Grabango announce AI-powered checkout-free tech

German discount grocer Aldi, and its partner Grabango, have publicly announced the launch of Aldigo, a pilot program at one of their Chicago-area stores that features checkout-free technology.

The announcement comes about two weeks after Amazon announced that it was removing its own cashierless “Just Walk Out” technology.

Supermarket News reported on the new tech in early February, but neither the grocer nor the cashier-free tech company were ready to discuss the new partnership. The two have been testing the new technology since late 2023. 

It allows shoppers to download the Grabango app, place items in their baskets, and then scan a QR code in the app at the end of the trip and have the bill charged to an online account. 

Cameras placed throughout the store use computer vision and artificial intelligence to track which items are taken by the shopper. 

On Tuesday, Grabango announced that the Aldi partnership is the first full-sized grocer to implement the checkout-free technology. Similar technology, particularly Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology, has typically appeared in small-format stores.

The company noted that neither the store’s planogram nor its product displays were changed to accommodate the tech.

Supermarket News