Announcement: First 100% autonomous store in the heart of the Netherlands
I am excited to announce that we are opening a Trigo-powered store with Aldi Nord in Utrecht, the first of its kind in the Netherlands. Located in the heart of Utrecht, locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the world-famous Aldi Nord discount grocery shopping experience at this 100% autonomous store. The centrally located Lange Viestraat street, one of the busiest in all of the Netherlands, and the large, tech-savvy student population, make this Aldi Nord store in Utrecht the perfect home for the first autonomous store in the Netherlands.
As Aldi Nord’s flagship frictionless checkout store, they wanted to put the power of the technology on display by choosing the 100% autonomous format. This is a reflection of Aldi Nord’s deep commitment to innovation and understanding of the value of technology in the physical store space. As the retail world moves towards more immersive and seamless in-store experiences, fully autonomous stores are becoming the obvious choice in this evolution.
One of the special things about working with Aldi Nord is the emphasis on maintaining the shopping experience that brings customers around the world to their store every day. Aldi Nord’s brand is synonymous with an easy and pleasant shopping experience at a good price point, so maintaining its unique offerings was central to transforming this autonomous store. For example, one of the parts of the Aldi Nord discount grocery experience that customers look forward to is the steep bargain items located in baskets. We worked closely together with Aldi Nord’s project and innovation teams to support this technological solution for the first time, aligning with Trigo and Aldi Nord’s mutual goal of transforming a store while maintaining the brand’s iconic experience.
Last, but certainly not least, this Aldi Nord store in Utrecht marks an important milestone in Trigo’s technological evolution, as it is our biggest store open to the public. At over 4,000 sq. ft., this Aldi Nord store is a great example of how our technology is being used in increasingly larger spaces and formats. With its size, unique use cases, and 100% autonomous format, this store is a major step in our vision as we continue to improve and expand to additional stores, formats, and markets around the world.
Michael.