Russian health food company VkusVill has opened its first cashierless store in Moscow.

The 52 square meter store, developed in partnership with retail technology company Neurus, offers prepared meals and sandwiches, groceries, pre-packed fruits and vegetables, drinks, desserts, and dairy products.

VkusVill said the outlet has no store assistants or cashiers, and that an employee only visits the store in the morning to stock the shelves with fresh products.

However, VkusVill said that during the early stages of the store’s operation, a consultant will be on hand to greet customers and introduce them to its technical features.

The company said that in its first two weeks of operation, the outlet recorded 70 purchases per day, with their checkouts averaging at between two to three items.

The news comes as cashierless stores continue to increase in popularity worldwide.

Last month, Amazon said it is preparing to roll out its Amazon Go cashierless stores into the US suburbs.

“We’ve noticed how people’s attitudes to shopping have changed, and we want to support this trend,” said Kirill Scherbakov, director of Micro-Marts and head of the cashierless store project at VkusVill. “As we’ve developed our grocery delivery service, we have observed that customers tend to avoid lines at the store, valuing speed and convenience.

“The new store format, featuring ready-to-eat food and a contactless payment system, is becoming increasingly popular.”

He added: “This format appeals not only to those who value their time, but also to fans of new technologies.”

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