EXCLUSIVE: An Up-Close Look at ALDIgo Checkout Tech
It may have been a mundane weekday morning at an ALDI in the far western suburbs of Chicago, but shoppers going about their errands were using next-generation checkout technology that’s only available in that particular location. Progressive Grocer visited the store at 2275 West Galena Boulevard in Aurora, Ill., to see the frictionless experience firsthand and get insights on how the seamless option has been received by customers.
“We launched in November of last year, and we have been in the store doing some testing. About three months ago, we implemented credit card payment in addition to the app, and that’s been very popular,” noted Shawnee Shugarman, senior brand ambassador at Grabango, the Berkeley, Calif.-based tech provider that partnered with ALDI to deploy the ALDIgo checkout-free shopping system at the Aurora store.
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Shugarman told Progressive Grocer that the system, which uses computer vision to identify and track every item in the full-sized grocery store, was recently updated to include a new vertical screen, and a payment option beyond the Grabango app. “We are always getting feedback from customers and take that and see what we can do differently to help them,” she said.
During PG’s visit, customers were seen at the two ALDIgo stations buying a variety of groceries, from smaller orders in boxes and ALDI reusable bags to large carts filled with dozens of items. “You can go through the store and do a big shop as you normally do. There are only certain items that you have to take out and scan or weigh, like fresh vegetable and fresh meat,” explained Shugarman, adding that personnel also check identification for adult beverage purchases.
Shoppers of all ages and backgrounds have adapted to and enjoy the system, according to Shugarman. Grabango team members are always on-site at the stations to assist shoppers when needed. “If they have never used it before, we’ll introduce them to it and ask if they are interested in trying it, because it’s very minimal,” she said. “We’ll remind some customers that we have this and they’re like, I’m going to try it.’ And when they do, there is a big sense of pride.”
The system has proved especially effective at ALDI, because of its footprint and shopping model. “We have a lot of people who come to this store especially because of ALDIgo, because it’s much faster,” Shugarman affirmed.
For now, this is the only ALDI location – and only grocery store – in the United States to feature the Grabango checkout technology. The Aurora outpost is a just few miles from ALDI’s headquarters, in Batavia, Ill.
At the time of the partnership announcement in April, ALDI’s VP of IT, Eric Traxler, said that the technology represents the company’s commitment to engage shoppers across experiences. “It’s exciting to see a checkout-free capability live in one of our stores. 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,” he asserted.
ALDI U.S. serves millions of customers across the country each month, with more than 2,300 stores in 38 states. The company is No. 28 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named ALDI its Retailer of the Year for 2023 and among the 10 Most Sustainable Grocers in 2024.
