Global convenience store company 7-Eleven is running a cashierless store pilot test available exclusively to its employees at the company’s Irving headquarters.

The 700-square-foot pilot store, which has been compared to Amazon Go, uses a mix of algorithms and predictive technology to separate individual customers and their purchases from other in-store shoppers, according to a release.

7-Eleven wants to continue innovating through digital solutions, says 7-Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto. Along with the cashierless store pilot test, other recent innovations from 7-Eleven include rolling out a Mobile Checkout feature at pilot locations and its on-demand delivery service 7NOW. In 2016, 7-Eleven became one of the early retail brands to test drone deliveries.

“Retail technology is evolving at a rapid pace and customer expectations are driving the evolution,” 7-Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto said in a release. 

To participate in the pilot test, 7-Eleven employees download an app and sign up. After test participants check in at the store, they can shop a mix of the company’s most popular products including beverages, snacks, food, groceries, over-the-counter drugs, and non-food items, and then simply exit the test store. After exiting, participants automatically receive a detailed receipt in the app.

“Ultimately, our goal is to exceed consumers’ expectations for faster, easier transactions and a seamless shopping experience,” Mani Suri, 7-Eleven’s senior vice president and chief information officer, said in a release.

7-Eleven uses its employees to test new store tech because they are honest and candid with their feedback, according to Suri. He added that the custom-built in-house tech is designed for both current and future customers, and offering a frictionless shopping experience with cashierless stores “could be a game-changer.”

Other retail tech in DFW

7-Eleven isn’t the only company testing retail tech in the area. In 2017, Neiman Marcus launched a “store of the future” in Fort Worth with high-tech mirrors that can snap images in dressing rooms and the makeup counter.

Sam’s Club Now, a “future of retail” concept, revamped its popular Scan & Go service last year in Dallas’ Lower Greenville neighborhood, which allowed shoppers to use the Sam’s Club Now app. Through the app, customers could scan barcodes with their phone, and then the phone was scanned as the customer walked out.

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