Autonomous Retail: Cashierless AI-Powered Stores at Scale

Retail’s next significant disruption isn’t coming from new product lines or loyalty programs; it’s coming from stores that run themselves. Valued at US$66.23 billion in 2024 and projected to reach US$202.65 billion by 2029 at a 25.2% compound annual growth rate, the global unmanned retail market is accelerating from concept to commercial reality. This surge reflects a structural shift driven by rising labour costs, urban convenience demands, and consumer expectations for seamless, frictionless shopping. 

Amazon’s Just Walk Out (JWO) technology now powers over 140 stores across the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada, spanning airports, universities, hospitals, and stadiums. Meanwhile, European leaders like REWE and Tesco are scaling hybrid autonomous formats that balance automation with human touch, proving that cashierless retail can enhance, not replace, the customer experience. 

As AI, computer vision, and sensor fusion continue to advance, cashierless stores are evolving from pilot projects to profitable, scalable ecosystems, redefining what efficiency and convenience mean in the modern retail landscape. 

The New Retail Operating Model 

Autonomous retail eliminates traditional checkout using a combination of computer vision, sensor fusion, and AI that automatically identifies products and charges customers as they exit. This technology integrates edge AI, identity recognition, and real-time data processing to create a frictionless in-store journey. 

Amazon’s approach shows how format differentiation drives success. The company now follows a two-pronged strategy: 

• Just Walk Out (JWO) technology is primarily designed for small, high-traffic venues, such as stadiums and airports. 
  

• Dash Cart supports larger grocery missions that require live visibility of pricing and promotions. 
  

Amazon reported over 18 million items sold through JWO stores in 2024. The company also shared that 80% of Dash Cart users were repeat shoppers, with 98% satisfaction and a 10% higher spend than non-cart users. 

This data highlights a crucial insight: cashierless technology performs best when the store format and mission type are precisely aligned. 

Real-World Deployments and Measurable Outcomes 

Autonomous retail is no longer confined to pilots. Global leaders such as Amazon, REWE, and Tesco are now operating live cashierless stores that deliver proven gains in efficiency, speed, and customer adoption. Their results show how technology, format, and execution together define success at scale. 

Amazon: Expanding Through Partnerships 

Amazon is extending its Just Walk Out (JWO) technology well beyond its own retail network, with third-party adoption accelerating rapidly. The company confirmed that 2024 will see the highest number of new third-party JWO openings to date, spanning sports venues, healthcare facilities, and travel retail hubs. 

Airport retail has emerged as a standout success. Hudson Nonstop stores, powered by JWO at Dallas Love Field and Chicago Midway airports, have demonstrated measurable gains in transaction speed and queue reduction, proving the model’s viability in high-traffic environments. 

REWE Group (Germany): Scaling Hybrid Autonomy 

REWE Group leads the European grocery sector in deploying autonomous formats. In 2022, it opened its first fully autonomous Pick & Go store in Munich. 

Subsequent rollouts followed in Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. The Hamburg store, spanning 1,200 square meters and featuring approximately 20,000 SKUs, is one of Europe’s largest autonomous supermarkets. Customers can choose between app-based checkout or staffed lanes. 

Tesco (United Kingdom): The Hybrid GetGo Model 

Tesco, in partnership with Trigo, expanded its GetGo concept in 2023 to several new stores in London and Birmingham. Each site employs a hybrid model, allowing shoppers to either check out using computer vision or utilise self-service kiosks.

This balance of automation and flexibility has enabled Tesco to gradually extend store hours, optimise staffing, and build customer confidence. 

These cases illustrate that autonomous retail is scaling where customer journeys are quick, product ranges are manageable, and operational economics support continuous throughput.  

Technology Maturity and System Design  

Modern autonomous stores rely on multimodal AI models that merge video, shelf weight, and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) data into a unified interpretation of in-store activity. In 2024, Amazon announced a new architecture for JWO that utilises transformer-based models to combine different data streams in real-time, thereby improving recognition accuracy and reducing false positives in crowded environments. 

This technological evolution marks a transition from rule-based perception systems to context-aware intelligence. The benefit is clear: lower sensor density, reduced maintenance, and greater scalability across diverse store layouts. Retailers are now focusing less on feasibility and more on operational efficiency, cost reduction, and the ability to integrate autonomous checkout into existing retail networks without significant infrastructure changes. 

Economics and Operational Performance 

Early autonomous pilots focused on technological novelty. Today, data shows tangible commercial gains. 

Amazon’s figures indicate that Dash Cart users generate a 10% increase in average basket value, supported by an 80% repeat adoption rate. In high-density environments such as airports and stadiums, transaction times have dropped from minutes to seconds, enabling higher sales throughput per square foot. 

European grocers are reporting similar operational benefits. REWE’s hybrid formats reduce staffing needs during off-peak hours while maintaining flexibility in customer service. Shrink rates have improved due to better visibility and traceability of in-store movement. 

However, the most strategic benefit is not limited to labour efficiency. Each autonomous transaction generates granular behavioural data, including dwell time, product touch rate, and shelf interaction. This intelligence enables retailers to optimise planograms, redesign store layouts, and dynamically adjust assortments to customer flow patterns. 

Strategic Levers for Scalable Implementation 

Successful autonomous retail strategies depend on mastering a few core levers: 

• Align Store Format and Mission: Deploy full autonomy in compact, high-traffic settings such as travel hubs, campuses, or convenience stores. Use hybrid or smart-cart systems for larger grocery trips that require detailed pricing visibility. 
  

• Build Hybrid Flexibility: Maintain at least one staffed or self-checkout option to ensure flexibility and adaptability. Tesco and REWE’s results show that hybrid stores reduce friction for restricted items, returns, and cash users while preserving automation efficiency. 
  

• Integrate Identity and Payments: Fast, secure entry and exit systems, such as Amazon One biometric identification, reduce friction and drive repeat visits. Amazon reports strong adoption rates where the system is deployed. 
  

• Leverage Data for Optimisation: Utilise computer vision data to analyse product interaction, shelf performance, and conversion rates. This enables data-driven adjustments to layout, packaging, and SKU visibility, enhancing both AI accuracy and sales performance. 
  

• Pursue Continuous Technological Improvement: Adopt next-generation AI models that support multi-category recognition, including RFID-enabled apparel and fresh products. Continuous algorithm refinement will be central to achieving sustainable economics at scale. 
  

Conclusion 

Autonomous retail is entering a decisive phase of maturity. The technology has proven its operational viability, and the economics are now shifting in its favour. 

Retailers that treat autonomy as a long-term infrastructure investment rather than a temporary experiment will gain structural advantages in cost, speed, and insight. Success will depend on disciplined scaling, hybrid integration, and continuous refinement of AI accuracy and store design. 

The transformation of retail is no longer about replacing cashiers but about re-engineering the in-store experience through intelligence, automation, and measurable value creation. The next wave of leadership will belong to those who can operationalise this convergence at scale, with precision and purpose.