Croatian supermarket chain Narodni Trgovački Lanac (NTL) will test a new application – ScanShop – that simplifies shopping experience of customers, according to media reports.
Developed by Croatian start-up ITalk, ScanShop allows customers to independently scan desired items in the store via their own mobile phone and thus skip the queues for the cash register, according to daily Poslovni Dnevnik.
ScanShop will give shoppers more time to select products instead of waiting in lines at the checkout and make the experience more positive.
It also provides the users with personalised offers based on their shopping lists and previous purchases, as well as detailed information about the product or promotions in individual stores.
ScanShop is the first application of its kind in Croatia, although similar applications already exist in other EU member countries, the report noted.
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Better Shopping Experience
According to one of the project developers, Luka Buljan, the “idea for the app stemmed from the frustration around using in-store cash registers”.
For the director of NTL, Martin Evačić, the introduction of ScanShop “potentially opens the possibility for better use of employee time so that, instead of manning the checkout, they are at the service of customers when choosing products".
Despite only offering basic functions, the app has reached a stage where it is ready for use in stores. Further testing in real conditions is necessary to enable the app to reach its full potential.
The project involved an investment of HRK 1.6 million (€212.700), with 85% of that amount covered by the EU Fund for Regional Development.
Future plans include rolling out the app to other EU countries and its adaptation in local languages.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.