SimplyFresh is rolling out Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology at a new store at London Gatwick Airport.
The ‘LittleFresh’ branded store – its smaller format that focuses on food to go – is launching next month, and will mark the first time the symbol operator has implemented the technology.
It will offer shoppers a “concise grab & go range” including sandwiches, salads, ready meals and a small range of groceries.
The tech will allow customers to tap their card or mobile wallet upon entry and then detect what they take from shelves, creating a virtual shopping cart.
On completing their shop, customers can leave the store without waiting in line, and their choice of payment method will be charged for the items.
The LittleFresh store will sit on an electric forecourt, which will both be owned and operated by energy company Gridserve, and feature 35 charging bays. There will also be dedicated areas to work, rest and shop while commuters wait for their vehicles to charge.
“SimplyFresh are always looking for new ways to improve shopping experiences for consumers,” said SimplyFresh COO Kash Khera. “Our LittleFresh concept offers the best of SimplyFresh convenience stores in a much smaller footprint, with an enhanced focus on food for now.
“Our latest location at London Gatwick Electric Forecourt, enabled by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, provides a perfect solution for EV drivers who want to recharge and get back on the road quickly.”
Gridserve electric forecourt director Paul Brant said: “Our electric forecourts are designed to meet the needs of the communities they serve and deliver an experience that is fundamentally better than filling a car with petrol or diesel.
“This latest collaboration with SimplyFresh and Amazon that incorporates Just Walk Out technology is yet another demonstration of how Gridserve continues to lead the charge in developing world-class customer experiences.”
Sainsbury’s was the first retailer outside of the US to deploy Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, at the supermarket’s SmartShop Pick & Go checkout-free store in London’s Holborn Circus in 2021.
WH Smith also uses the e-commerce giant’s tech, having launched a checkout-free store at New York City’s LaGuardia airport in early 2022.
Earlier this year, the ExCeL centre in London used the technology to power a frictionless ‘Market Express’ store at the venue.
Amazon has also been steadily growing its own Amazon Fresh store footprint in the UK. The 20th UK Amazon Fresh store is opening on 29 November in London’s Notting Hill Gate.
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