Trigo Attempts to Challenge Amazon Go
Israeli-based startup Trigo announced a new funding round raising $22 million in their quest to challenge Amazon Go as the preferred payments processor in Europe. The company’s selling point is its frictionless checkout system, allowing even smaller enterprises like corner grocery stores to compete with big-chain like Amazon. The company’s tech already exists in some of the world’s largest checkout-free establishments, giving it leverage in its future push for adoption by Europe’s grocery stores.
How it Works
Trigo’s system is based on a combination of 3D space mapping technology and artificial intelligence (AI). The system records the items that the users pick up while in the store and the AI determine what those items are and the cost attached. Consumers can then proceed to a cashier, or simply walk through the doors and be billed automatically through an app. The result is much shorter grocery lines and quick trips to the supermarket.
Improving Customer Service Through Tech
The technology is an innovation that can benefit consumer immensely. Automatic checkout systems already exist in a wide range of American grocery stores, but they have their own ethical implications for local users. Trigo’s technology would simply be a more efficient implementation of self-checkout. The option of being able to pay with cash or card will ease its adoption and make it more attractive to consumers that want access to the new technology but are concerned about the app’s ability to handle their payment details.
Mobile wallet systems are likely to work with Trigo’s policy, which might lead to a broader adoption for both. Automated payment systems already increase the speed of checkout and the efficiency of a single grocery visit. European groceries that aren’t part of massive chains stand to benefit from implementing the improvement in their own businesses, allowing for a way for them to better serve their existing customers within the community.
