A community market in San Diego is to use checkout free technology from local start-up Accel Robotics.

Using computer vision and artificial intelligence, the soon-to-be-open Valet Market is an autonomous community market offering 140m² of retail space within Brookfield’s luxury Vantage Pointe high-rise community in San Diego’s East Village.

Designed as a shared pantry for the neighbourhood, Valet Market will stock locally-sourced items, such as produce, baked goods and dairy, alongside everyday convenience items on the store’s smart shelves. The market is also integrated with Accel’s Last Step delivery services for residents, who can order goods through the store’s mobile app for on-demand delivery straight to their door.

“Valet Market signals a new era in modern convenience that offers community residents 24/7 access to autonomous shopping while serving as a distribution hub for the larger community,” said Brandon Maseda, CEO of Accel Robotics. “We’re enabling a grab-and-go store of the future for a fast, hyper-local shopping experience, all while setting a new standard of service with our Last Step delivery offering.”

Valet Market lets consumers shop for everyday items by downloading an app and using their phone to check in to the store. Once inside, shoppers can select desired items and walk out without having to wait in a queue to check out.

Technologies including computer vision, shelf-level sensors and artificial intelligence automatically track products as shoppers remove them from the shelves. When exiting the store, a receipt will be delivered promptly to the shopper’s mobile device, eliminating the wasted time and hassle of traditional or self-checkout.

Last Step, a proprietary delivery system from Accel Robotics, will provide residents at Vantage Pointe with the added convenience of having items delivered directly to their door in addition to round-the-clock access to in-store shopping.

“We’re experiencing incredible momentum around delivering autonomous shopping for enterprise customers across the retail sector,” Maseda said. “With Valet Market, we have the opportunity to showcase our next-generation, contactless shopping experience directly to consumers while providing our real estate partners with a cutting-edge, innovative tenant amenity.”

In addition to Valet Market, Accel Robotics says it will be announcing partnerships with US brands and entities, including universities, sports venues, military bases, convenience stores, pharmacies and fuel stations.