Grabango retrofits Aldi store with computer vision

  • April 29, 2024
  • Steve Rogerson

California-based retail technology company Grabango has helped supermarket chain Aldi retrofit a full-size grocery store in Chicago with computer vision technology for a faster checkout experience.

Under the banner AldiGo, the checkout-free technology has been installed in an existing, full-size suburban store and lets shoppers skip the queue.

“The launch of AldiGo is a pivotal moment for the grocery industry,” said Will Glaser, CEO of Grabango. “Although more challenging, it was important to us to launch this technology in a typical store and not one purpose-built for us. Aldi is one of the most innovative retailers in the world, and we are honoured to partner with them to give their shoppers an exciting new way to shop the store.”

The Grabango system was added to an existing store without the need to make any changes to the store’s planogram or product displays. The technology, which uses computer vision to identify and keep track of every item in the store, allows shoppers to exit the store without waiting in line or scanning items.

“It’s exciting to see a checkout-free capability live in one of our stores,” said Eric Traxler, vice president at Aldi. “Aldi is continuously looking for new ways to be innovative and provide a best-in-class experience for our shoppers, and AldiGo is a great example of that in action.”

The AldiGo store is open to the public in Aurora, a Chicago suburb. To use it, customers shop at Aldi as they normally do. There are no special shelves, carts or gates at the entrance. When done, shoppers can pay with either their credit or debit card, or with the Grabango app, at the Grabango pay station near the exit. Alternatively, shoppers still have the option to check out with a traditional cashier.

German supermarket chain Aldi (www.aldi.us) is one of America’s fastest-growing retailers, serving millions of customers across the country each month.

Grabango (www.grabango.com) provides checkout-free technology for large-scale chains. The platform is a fault-tolerant, edge-computing, AI network that accurately processes millions of simultaneous transactions. The system places no limits on who can enter the store, what can be sold there, or how the shelving is configured.