Israel's Shufersal opens first checkout free store in Tel Aviv

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's largest supermarket chain Shufersal said on Thursday it had opened the country's first autonomous store where shoppers do not have to queue at checkout or scan any goods and where payments and receipts are settled digitally.

So-called frictionless shopping is gaining traction globally as grocery giants look to keep costs down amid razor-thin margins and fine-tune inventory and supply chain management, while making shopping more convenient for customers.

The technology at Shufersal's store is powered by Israeli start-up Trigo, which also developed the technology at British retailer Tesco's High Holborn branch in London.

Trigo is also working with Germany's REWE, Aldi NORD, Netto, and Wakefern Food Corp. in the United States, the company said in a joint statement with Shufersal.

Trigo uses artificial intelligence-powered computer vision and off-the-shelf hardware to turn existing supermarkets into fully autonomous and digital stores. It uses algorithms to ceiling-mounted cameras which automatically learn and upload shoppers' movements and product choices.

Amazon, France's Carrefour, Dutch grocery retailer SPAR and 7-Eleven are also moving to such technologies.

(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)