New York City — Sensei, a global leader in autonomous retail technology, recently debuted its groundbreaking autonomous supermarket at NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show, which took place in New York City from Jan. 12-14. Sensei introduces real-time basket technology and an autonomous experience with assisted sales — transforming customer convenience and operational efficiency.
“Sensei’s technology goes beyond eliminating checkout lines — it enhances the entire shopping journey while providing retailers with invaluable real-time data to optimize their operations,” says Vasco Portugal, CEO and co-founder of Sensei. “We’re excited to bring this transformative solution to larger scale supermarkets and challenge the retail industry with what’s possible.”
Sensei’s technology creates a seamless shopping experience, combining:
• Autonomous Grocery Solutions: Consumers grab items like cereal, milk or pasta — and their virtual basket updates in real-time.
• Assisted Sales Integration: Retailers can redeploy staff from checkout lines to high-value roles, such as supporting bakery or deli operations.
• Smart Integration: Automated systems like coffee machines can be seamlessly incorporated into the autonomous ecosystem.
Sensei’s proprietary AI technology combines computer vision, machine learning and sensors to achieve 99% accuracy in tracking consumer interactions with products, a significant improvement over existing autonomous solutions. Shoppers enjoy transparency, as purchases are displayed in real-time, eliminating the friction of scanning and lines.
Sensei’s presence at NRF coincided with the launch of its 1,200-square-meter autonomous supermarket in Portugal, in partnership with MC (Sonae Group), the country’s leading grocery retailer. This achievement sets a new benchmark for large-scale autonomous retail environments. Store features include:
• Democratic Entry: No app, card or registration is required to enter the store. The entry is open as in any regular supermarket.
• Diverse and Comprehensive Assortment: The store offers a range of products similar to a traditional supermarket, including solutions like weighable fruits and vegetables, a fish market with service, and bakery and pastry options sold in bulk.
• Simplified Checkout: Thanks to “real-time basket” technology, customers don’t need to scan products. At checkout, items automatically appear on the screen for confirmation, eliminating the need to remove products from bags or carts.
• Discrepancy Detection: The technology identifies discrepancies between what the customer picked up (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and what was actually weighted, ensuring greater control and accuracy throughout the shopping journey.
This innovative retail environment integrates AI-powered computer vision, shelf sensors and real-time inventory tracking to provide accuracy and convenience for consumers while delivering valuable behavioral insights and operational efficiencies for retailers.
Sensei is the leading European provider of autonomous retail technology. A pioneer in the industry, it was the first technology company to open fully autonomous stores in Europe, Latin America and Brazil. Through an advanced infrastructure that combines AI, computer vision and sensor fusion, Sensei builds experiences that make shopping more intuitive and generate unprecedented store metrics and performance insights for businesses. For more information, visit www.sensei.tech.
SOURCE: Sensei Tech