Netherlands: Albert Heijn to test cashierless concept store

The new cashierless convenience store concept will allow customers to enter and pay for goods with a contactless credit card.

Grocery store chain Albert Heijn has teamed with bank ING Group and California-based startup Aifi, to test a new cashierless convenience store concept in The Netherlands that allows customers to enter and pay for goods with a contactless credit card.

The 14-square-meter concept store, located in front of Albert Heijn's headquarters in Zaandam, uses computer vision and weight sensor technologies to let customers enter the store with a debit or credit card and walk out with their purchases - automatically scanned without the need to use a POS checkout.

The concept store will be tested over the next two months with Albert Heijn employees and will then be moved to another location in the country later this year. According to Marit van Egmond, CEO of Albert Hein, the store can operate like a pop-up concept that can be plugged and played in a location where there is a temporary need for such a solution.

"Technological innovations follow each other at breakneck speed and offer endless opportunities. "Convenience for our customers comes first," van Egmond said in a company release.

The customer payment method is registered at a kiosk-like device when the customer enters the store and when the customer selects the items ready to purchase and stands in front of the exit, the purchases are automatically recorded up to about 25 euros. The customer gets then a notification of the purchase to be able to walk out of the store.

The solution will work without advanced registration or a mobile app required.