Today, Colruyt reaches an important milestone: the 100th store is being fitted with the 'easy check-out'. The innovative checkout system, powered by artificial intelligence, speeds up product scanning by up to 20% and allows employees to work more ergonomically. The first test took place in February 2023 and in spring 2025 the decision was made to equip all Colruyt stores with the innovative checkout system. Today marks the turn of the Sint-Niklaas store, the100th in the rollout. Colruyt will complete the rollout with the 'easy check-out' across all 273 Colruyt stores before the end of the year.
In February 2023, the Colruyt store in Halle was given the opportunity to be the first store to test the 'easy check-out'. The innovative system is a technological feat that looks deceptively simple: a camera is mounted above the checkout and it uses artificial intelligence. This camera registers the products that the employee transfers from one shopping trolley to another, following Colruyt's unique caddy-to-caddy checkout system. The camera recognises up to 85% of products and allows employees to keep both hands free. Fruit and vegetables, as well as items placed at the bottom of the trolley, are still scanned manually by employees.
Geert Elen, head innovation Colruyt Group: "The decision to implement the system in all our stores was an obvious choice: customers enjoy a smoother checkout experience, our people can work more ergonomically and we need to schedule fewer checkout hours. This gives our staff more time for customer support and other tasks in the store."
The innovative system was entirely developed by Colruyt Group's innovation team, Industrial Automation. The first test was an immediate success and in spring 2025 the system was deemed ready for full rollout. Less than a year later, 100 stores are already equipped with the innovative checkout.
"Rolling out a system this quickly is a real tour de force. On the one hand, installing the technology in every store is a complex operation. On the other hand, we also need to bring our people along. That's why we approach the rollout region by region, allowing us to focus on training and support. We see that people need a little time to get used to the system, but once they do, they work with it smoothly, and find it an enjoyable way of working", says Geert Elen, head innovation Colruyt Group.
Colruyt's 'easy check-out' won the 2024 RETA award in the category Best AI & Robotics Application. In 2026, 'easy check-out' received the silver medal at the Henry van de Velde Awards, in the category Business Innovation.
