Amazon could be planning to bring its checkout-free grocery stores to Europe

Amazon could be looking to expand its cashier-free grocery stores to the UK and Europe in the future. The company recently filed several trademark applications related to its Go stores with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office and its European Union equivalent.

The company filed applications to trademark four slogans: “No Lines, No Checkout. (No, Seriously),” “No Queue, No Checkout. (No, Seriously),” “Every Queue is a Defect,” and “Every Line is a Defect.” The slogans are similar to one used by the company when it first announced its Go stores last December. At the time, there were reports that the company intended to open around 2000 stores, although Amazon denied those plans. We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment, and will update if we hear back.

Amazon’s Go stores are designed for customers to walk in, take what they want, and leave, all without having to go through a checkout line. Customers scan their Amazon account when they enter, and the store tracks what items they pick up, charging them when they leave. The stores reportedly will only require six to ten employees per location.

Amazon still has a ways to go before it expands its stores into foreign markets, however. The first store was reportedly supposed to open in March, but technical problems have apparently pushed that back: the stores reportedly break down if there’s more than 20 people inside, while there are also issues with tracking products put back in the wrong place.

According to Bloomberg, UK grocery chains such as Tesco and Sainsbury are concerned about Amazon’s potential entry into local markets, especially as they face competition from discount grocers such as Aldi and Lidl. Last year, Amazon launched delivery service Amazon Fresh in parts of London.