The cash register has been a part of commerce for a little less than 150 years now, the ever famous ‘cha-ching’ sound is familiar to all our ears. However, all dated technology should come to an end, definitely if there’s something more efficient down the pipeline.
Israeli startup Trigo, which provides a register-free autonomous shopping experience, excitingly announced the plan grand opening of the company’s first checkout-free store and partnership with major European food chain. The company uses AI-powered cameras to track in-store shopping and charge each customer purchase. The new automated food market’s location has yet to be disclosed but sources close to the deal told Calcalist that the opening will come sometime towards the end of 2020, with a follow-up location set to be in Israel.
Forget your wallet, just shop and leave
Trigo’s system provides a continuous shopping experience, relieving customers of waiting on line, especially during times when close proximity to other individuals is a big ‘no-no’. Essentially, a shopper enters the store, scans a QR code at the entrance and proceeds to shop as normal, once the customer finishes their shopping they just exit the store and immediately receive a receipt to their mobile phone. This is all done by leveraging computer vision to track customer’s purchases from a ceiling full of cameras without resorting to facial recognition or other potential privacy-related issues. Furthermore, Trigo provides customers with automated inventory management services.
These are exactly the innovative solutions that will help us adapt to our new COVID based reality. I mean just think of all the time we get back, instead of wasting away waiting for that one person who forgot to get sugar exactly when it was their turn at the register. Trigo provides customers a frictionless experience, that limits physical human interaction and gathering, bringing a solution for stores to keep operating safely during these dire times.
While the automated supermarket idea is not a new one - AmazonGo launched in 2018 and has already opened stores around the U.S., even plans to invade Europe in the future as well - it still needs to be an idea that is adaptable. Unlike, Amazon’s approach of building new locations, Trigo easily integrates into existing stores, enabling a variety of different retailers and food sellers the opportunity to join in on the AI revolution. In addition, the Israeli company offers its system and services on a financing plan, further enabling businesses much-needed flexibility, especially during the up-and-down economy the COVID crisis has brought upon us.
The company was founded in 2017 by CEO Michael Gabay and CTO Daniel Gabay, and has raised upwards of $30 million up-to-date. Trigo’s solution shows how adopting AI and computer vision technologies to everyday life can improve our day-to-day, making things easier.
