ESS uses artificial intelligence to open checkout-free store

ESS is the latest contract caterer to launch a food shop powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to speed up the sales process.

The Market @ Churchill store at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom near Swindon allows customers to purchase items without having to wait in line or stop to scan or pay.

Visitors simply tap a contactless card upon entry and once inside computer vision cameras track their purchases and add them to a virtual shopping cart.

Customers can leave with their purchases and a receipt is delivered to their phone moments later.

Those living at the military site will have 24-hour access to the shop, which sells a selection of hot and chilled food to go, coffee from social enterprise Change Please and a range of drinks and snacks.

ESS, which is the defence, marine and aerospace arm of Compass Group UK and Ireland, said the store did not use facial recognition or biometric technology to ensure security and privacy for its military customers.

Gavin Thomas, station commander at the Defence Academy, said the shop was ideal for those on academic courses who had busy schedules.

“We’re proud to have access to this cutting-edge technology which isn’t yet available on most high streets or elsewhere within the [Ministry of Defence],” he added.

Bob Gray, managing director at ESS Defence, Marine and Aerospace, said: “High street technology is moving at pace and it’s essential that we reflect these innovations in the services we provide to military personnel.”

AI is increasingly being used across the contract catering sector to create a smoother sales process.

Aramark launched its first AI-powered shop at Aegon’s Edinburgh offices in February.

BaxterStorey has partnered with Amazon to open Social Bee, a checkout-free supermarket, at the tech giant’s London headquarters in Shoreditch.

Rob Brown, head of IT at BaxterStorey, said he saw AI as the “next stage in evolution of [the] workplace hospitality experience”.