One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for detecting a first user in the autonomous store based on analysis of a first set of images collected by a set of tracking cameras in the autonomous store, creating a first virtual shopping cart for the first user without requiring the first user to establish an identity with the autonomous store, updating the first virtual shopping cart with a set of items in the autonomous store based on observations from a set of sensors of interactions between the first user and the set of items, and automatically performing at least one check-out operation related to the set of items in the first virtual shopping cart upon detecting that a first location of the first user is within proximity of a checkout location in the autonomous store.