The trial-run will take place at a FamilyMart convenience store in Tokyo for a month from January 30, using special tags on 500 kinds of goods and electronic money, trading house Itochu said Wednesday.

If a shopper places the basket on the checkout counter, the system scans the prices in one second without the sales clerk having to scan each item.

Including the time for procedures such as putting the goods in a bag, "it takes less than 10 seconds to leave the counter," said Itochu spokesman Yasuhiko Takahashi said.

The Itochu group has a 30 percent stake in FamilyMart, the third largest convenience store chain in Japan.

The experiment is part of a project led by Japan's trade ministry to map out future retail possibilities. It is not decided when the system will be put to practical use.

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