British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is discounting the use of Amazon’s Just Walk Out system at its Holborn Circus location in London, UK.  

A spokesperson from Sainsbury’s told GroceryGazette that Amazon’s service was no longer operational at Holborn Circus.

The spokesperson stated: “We continue to work with AWS across a range of projects and are looking at how we can use technology to make shopping with us even simpler and more convenient in the future.” 

In November 2021, the UK retailer became the first international business customer of Just Walk Out technology. 

The tech enabled consumers to shop by scanning a QR code via the supermarket’s app, select their merchandise and exit without a traditional checkout process. 

Holborn Circus was chosen for implementation due to its focus on providing quick food and drink options for local workers who need to shop efficiently.

But the SmartShop Pick & Go store has now transitioned back to a traditional model that includes a customer kiosk with a till, two self-checkout stations and SmartShop mobile payment. 

The development follows Amazon Fresh's decision in April 2024 to remove the Just Walk Out feature in American outlets and replace it with innovative smart trolley technology.  

Nonetheless, within the UK, Amazon Fresh persists in managing checkout-free stores. 

In August 2024, Amazon unveiled an advanced AI model designed to refine its Just Walk Out checkout tech, offering more accurate and efficient shopping experiences.