It started with Amazon Go. And now mobile apps, self-checkout systems integrating with embedded store technologies are continuing to expand. In-store cameras, sensors, and AI driven algorithms are among the systems that stores are using to make a self-checkout system operational.
Typically, the process begins with the store’s mobile app being installed on the customer’s cell phone. Then customers walk into the store and are identified automatically via their mobile app. Then the embedded in-store technology system records their selections and seamlessly transacts a payment upon exiting the store.
However, as with Amazon Go, the technology and related installation costs are said to run high. So a key takeaway about Grabango is they claim to have a lower cost system that is scalable up to a 100,000 square foot store, which is significantly larger that your average 2,000 sq. ft. C-store. This would be a game changer and enable many more supermarkets and other retailers to operationalize self-checkout systems. Will be worth watching to see how this self-checkout partnership evolves.
A Venture Beat article discusses more on this topic which is excerpted below.
The next time you walk into one of Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle’s more than 216 supermarkets, 202 GetGo convenience stores, or 56 Ricker’s stores, you might not have to stop by the checkout counter on your way out the door. The supermarket chain today announced that it has partnered with Grabango, a Silicon Valley startup founded by Pandora Radio cofounder and chief technology officer Will Glaser, to create a “no-wait” and checkout-free brick-and-mortar payment experience.
Glaser says that multiple configurations of Grabango’s platform are being tested at a pilot Giant Eagle location, including an app-based solution and another that allows customers to pay with cash or credit card.
Giant Eagle has been a fantastic partner on this groundbreaking project,” said Glaser, who serves as Grabango’s CEO. “We are excited to be announcing our first checkout-free partnership with a major U.S. retailer. Together, we are offering a technology that is seamless and equitable for all.”
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Service at Mercator Advisory Group