Trigo, an Israel-based computer vision company disrupting retail with frictionless checkout technology, has partnered with discount supermarket giant Netto Marken-Discount (also known as Netto) on a hybrid checkout-free grocery store in Munich, Germany.
Founded in 2018 by brothers Michael and Daniel Gabay, Trigo is reshaping the retail experience by transforming existing supermarkets into fully autonomous or hybrid digital stores. They combine AI technology with ceiling-mounted cameras to create a seamless shopping experience that eliminates the need for checkout lines. They have raised a total of $104 million so far.
How it works
The technology is simple to use. Shoppers use an app to scan a QR code as they enter the store, then go about their shopping. As they take items, Trigo automatically adds the item to their shopping list. They do so with their advanced retail automation platform that identifies customers' shopping items with exceptional levels of accuracy through their ceiling-mounted cameras. Once a shopper is done, they simply leave the store, with no need to wait in any checkout line. Their shopping list is simply added up, and automatically charged to their account, via a registered payment method. Of course, to ensure legal tobacco and alcohol consumption, there is an age verification process through the app upon a customer's first visit. Trigo does not use any biometric or facial recognition data to ensure privacy for its customers, which is important because many countries, like Germany, have very strict data protection and privacy regulations.
Netto is owned by the EDEKA group, one of the largest food chains in the world, and has over 4,000 stores across Germany. They also offer one of the largest overall selections of groceries in the German discount market. This new partnership marks Netto’s first-ever hybrid checkout-free store and couldn't have come at a better time; with the COVID-19 pandemic still ravaging through communities, many people are trying to limit their everyday contacts. Trigo's seamless checkout process allows them to do so. The store is located in Munich's Schwabing West neighbourhood, near the University of Munich. Though this new technology has been incorporated to their store, to ensure that shoppers who prefer to use traditional checkout can still do so, Netto has opted for a hybrid concept so the checkout counter is still accessible.
"Trigo works with some of the biggest names in the retail space, and we are particularly excited to be partnering with Netto to open the first hybrid-frictionless discount store in the world. The public will be able to enjoy the competitive pricing of the discounter together with a great shopping experience,” says Michael Gabay, Trigo's co-founder and CEO.
Trigo has recently partnered with other major retailers such as Tesco, REWE and ALDI Nord to bring their seamless shopping solution to all corners of Europe.
