2021: A Year in Review

2021 was the year that frictionless checkout became a household name. It is amazing to see how a once far-fetched idea, hatched while waiting in line at the supermarket, is rapidly growing into what many define as the future of retail.

As the year wraps up and we look back on what we envisioned and what came to life, we can say that reality exceeded expectations. We would also like to thank everyone who believed in us from the beginning and those who joined along the way and we can’t wait to show you what we have in store for 2022.

So let’s take a moment to look back on some of the milestones we are proud to reflect on from the past year.

1. Tesco Express on High Holborn Street, London

High Holborn street in central London has become almost a testing ground for frictionless checkout tech. We were the ones who led the way – together with Tesco, we opened the world’s first retrofitted, frictionless checkout store on High Holborn. This 100% fully autonomous store is Tesco’s second Trigo-powered store, the first being in Welwyn Garden right outside of London, and is also exciting because it marks the first retailer with more than one store integrated with our technology.

2. Breaking into the German market

This past year we opened the first frictionless checkout store in Germany with REWE. This is not only an important milestone for Trigo, but also for the category. Germany has one of the strictest policies and standards for personal privacy in the world, so implementing a computer vision-powered, seamless shopping experience required us to match their rigorous rules and regulations. The REWE store is also the first hybrid format we’ve opened, meaning that shoppers can choose between seamless shopping or a traditional checkout queue, which gives customers the agency on how they want to shop.

3. Tapping into discount grocery retail 

In September we announced our partnership with discount giant ALDI Nord to power the first 100% frictionless discount supermarket to be opened to the general public in early 2022. To round out the year, in December, we opened the first discount, hybrid checkout-free store with our partners at Netto Marken-Discount, of the EDEKA group, in Munich, Germany. We are proud to be the first to bring the hybrid seamless shopping experience to discount shoppers in the home of Oktoberfest, where you no longer have to wait in line to stock up on your favorite beer for one of Germany’s most famous and loved festivals.

4. Secured contracts for hundreds of stores  

This past year, Trigo not only opened up stores with multiple leading retailers, but we also secured contracts to fit out hundreds of stores over the next few years. We are embracing this opportunity with a lot of excitement and look forward to continuing to lead the category, fueled by the trust we have built with our innovative partners.

Stay tuned for updates on what we have planned for 2022 and beyond.

5. Expanding across the globe: US

The US market has been part of our focus over the past year. We have heavily invested in building the right team and finding the right partners in order to bring Trigo’s retrofit capabilities into the US market. The success we established in Europe has laid the groundwork for our expansion and readiness to face a new market with unique shopping characteristics.

6. Trigo reaches $104M in total funding

We are thankful to the group of truly outstanding and world-class investors who believed in our vision and invested in our future. This year we surpassed the $100M mark in funding, led by 83North in participation with REWE – who are one of our retail partners. The fact that two of our retail partners invested in us – Tesco did so during our Series A round – is a testament to our solution’s capabilities and our place as pioneers in the future of retail.

7. More than doubled our team

There has been a lot of talk about how 2021 was the hardest year for talent recruitment in the tech world, but we are proud to say that we added 116 new members to the Trigo family. Every person has had a direct impact on our resounding success over the past year, and we look forward to continuing to grow our team as we ring in the new year.

The way forward

2021 was our most successful and exciting year yet, which means 2022 will only surpass it. 

In the upcoming year, we will continue to expand our reach globally into new markets and formats. We are also extending our product line to introduce and implement our StoreOS™. As we continue to work closely with retailers to transform their stores into autonomous ones, StoreOS™ will enable actionable insights that drive efficiency and enhance the shopping experience.

We are grateful for every person and partner who has had a hand in our success over the past year, and may we continue to build and grow together as trendsetters in the retail world in 2022, paving the path for others to follow.

Michael