World’s First Checkout-Free Shop to Open in Cork

French Church Street in Cork will be the location of an exciting new venture being introduced into the retail sphere early next year. The project, which is being launched by Everseen - an Irish company that specialises in technology and innovation for the retail environment – is set to revolutionise world retail. Everseen has produced a software called Øline (pronounced zero line), which will allow consumers to participate in checkout-free shopping. The system uses cameras and computer intelligence to monitor what customers take off the shelf, as well as recognising a product being returned to the shelf. When they have finished shopping, customers will simply need to review their purchased items on the Øline app, approve payment and then leave. The company already works with five of the world’s top ten retailers, supplying technology systems that boost efficiency and prevent losses at checkouts. CEO of Everseen, UCC graduate Alan O’Herlihy, has dedicated his career to making the retail experience more fluid and efficient for both customers and businesses. He stated that this new project isn’t only about removing registers and queues: "Øline gives offline retailers intelligence about their customers. It allows them to respond to consumer behaviour and emotions, not just purchasing patterns.”While it is now commonplace to see self-checkouts at most supermarkets, this technology will take things a step further. By removing checkouts completely, there will no longer be any need to queue, handle money or even to scan an item through. The system is still being tested, however Everseen is expecting to open three cashier-less shops, including the one on French Church Street, within the first few months of 2018. Online retail leader Amazon is also working on a similar plan, and have developed a concept shop in their US headquarters. The shop has not yet been opened to the public however, so it really is possible that the French Church Street premises will be one of the first checkout-free shops in the world.