The first grocery store in Europe without tills is set to open in the UK today (Thursday, March 4).
Online giant Amazon is trialling the new style of shopping in London as it opens the doors to its first Amazon Fresh shop.
Shoppers at the futuristic "contactless" stores will be able to pick up items and walk out of the store without the need for a till.
Customers will scan a QR code on their way into the store, with cameras and technology identifying the items shoppers take from the shelves.
They will then be charged for the items via an Amazon app on their mobile phone.
The stores will be similar to the 20 Amazon Go stores the company runs in the US but will operate under the Fresh brand it uses for its UK online grocery operations.
The US firm is so confident of its technology that it says shoppers are not under any obligation to check all the items were accounted for. It involves the use of hundreds of cameras and depth-sensors, and software developed using deep-learning artificial-intelligence techniques.
Amazon said the store - which will be at the front of the Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre - will be the first of a number of planned openings in London.
Matt Birch, the former Sainsbury's executive who now leads Amazon Fresh Stores UK, told PA the company has strived to make grocery shopping "as convenient as possible".
"The focus was just creating a really easy shopping experience for customers," he said.
"We recognise that UK customers want to shop in a convenient way so we really think they will appreciate being able to walk in and walk out with the shopping they need."
The company said it has also launched a By Amazon range of hundreds of own-brand products for the stores.
