Auchan opens French store with no checkouts

The well-known French supermarket chain Auchan has opened an automated store on the campus of the Edhec business school, just outside Lille.

Customers at Auchan Go have to download the app before entering, and link their credit or debit card to the app.

Once inside, customers fill their baskets and the business uses image and movement recognition to keep track of the items they have taken. Payment is automatically taken as the customer leaves the store, with a receipt sent so they can keep track of their purchases.

It is “a system of recognition of items and movements, coupled with a virtual scale,” the Auchan group told French media. “Payment is made automatically when the customer passes through the door. A digital receipt is then available directly on the smartphone.

And of course, customer data is secure. Auchan and Edhec have worked, in close collaboration with regulator CNIL to ensure compliance with the GDPR as well as the protection of images.”

The small convenience store is open to everyone, but is mainly used by staff and students on the Ehdec campus. It operates 24 hours a day.