Amazon started experimenting with the concept in 2016 when it opened its first “Amazon Go” branch in Seattle which used what has been dubbed “Just Walk Out” technology.
It relies on an accompanying app, which has to be used to enter the store, that tracks whether products are removed from, or returned to, the shelves.
Amazon used the same types of technologies found in self-driving cars, such as computer vision, sensor fusion and deep learning to make the concept work.
Last year, it announced it would open up its technology platform to other retailers who wanted to trial the technology.
Sainsbury’s will now put it to use in a convenience store at Holborn Circus. Customers will need to scan a QR code when entering using their SmartShop app, which is linked to a credit or debit card.
Just Walk Out technology automatically adds anything the customer takes off the shelf to their virtual cart and removes anything they put back on the shelf. The customer leaves...