The Huge Change That May Be Coming To Aldi Stores

Known for their no-frills shopping experience and devotion to efficiency, outlets are reporting the possibility of a massive shift coming to Aldi stores in the near future. According to Charged Retail, the German-based discount grocery chain is working on building a checkout-free experience for its shoppers, similar to Amazon Go. They assert that Aldi Süd (which just goes by Aldi in the U.S.) recently put out an international request through an English-language website looking for tech start-ups who specialize in artificial intelligence and computer vision. In the request, the company allegedly asked for groups who had previous experience developing technology that was able to recognize products, as well as creating apps to provide shoppers with additional information about items like nutritional info and stock levels.

Charged Retail states that this potential tech development is being uncovered on the heels of predictions that Aldi may soon be launching an e-commerce branch in the UK. They state that logistics operators at the discount grocer say the company is prepared to "seize the opportunity which e-commerce offers."

Forbes states that, if true, this new tech could have a massive impact on the way you shop at Aldi. If the program ends up similar to Amazon Go, as many are speculating it will be, shoppers would be able to skip checkout lines entirely. Amazon Go currently has around 30 stores open (or coming soon), and works by having shoppers scanning themselves into each store through a gate similar to those in airports with the Amazon Go app on their phone. TechCrunch states that the app then uses the many cameras placed throughout the store to follow your every move and tracks which items you pick up so it can charge your account accordingly when you exit. Amazon assured TechCrunch that these cameras do not use facial recognition technology to ease the fears of any privacy-concerned customers.

While most of the Amazon Go stores currently operating are fairly modest in size, Forbes states that the largest of them comes in just slightly smaller than your average U.S. Aldi location, showing that this tech is very possible on a larger scale if designed with that in mind. The outlet says that this cashier-less experience would fit perfectly with Aldi's mission to be as efficient and cost-effective as possible, allowing them to pass on savings to consumers. Aldi has so far declined to respond to either Forbes or Charged Retail's requests for comments on this possible new development, so at this point, it remains speculation.