Portuguese retail group Jerónimo Martins has opened its first checkout-free Pingo Doce supermarket, in Carcavelos in Lisbon.
The Pingo Doce & Go Lab Store, located at the Nova SBE campus, mainly serves students residing in the university and surrounding areas.
The pilot store has been designed to respond to the needs of students, offering a quick and convenient shopping experience, the retailer said.
The goal of the project, according to the retailer, is to 'observe, study and learn about new consumer trends', especially among the so-called 'Generation Z' consumers.
Pilot Store
Pingo Doce will test new technologies in the pilot store, including payments via bank cards, before replicating the format in other locations.
It has invested around €2.5 million in the project and has collaborated with Outsystems, Truewind and Reckon for technological support.
Poland’s Forcom, responsible for the payment system at its Polish subsidiary, Biedronka, is also a partner in the project.
Customers are required to download the Nova Pingo Doce & Go app and scan their smartphones on a QR code reader to enter the store.
The app creates a virtual shopping basket, once a customer enters the store. The purchase takes place after a product is taken off the store shelf and the smartphone is scanned against the label, which uses NFC contactless technology.
Presently, the facility is only available on Android smartphones, but talks are underway with Apple, the retailer said.
The 250 square metre store has 20 employees, mainly in the take-away food and bakery areas, as well as in sales, to help customers with the process.
Wide Range Of Products
There are around 1,600 SKUs available in the outlet, of which 20% are exclusive to the store.
The offer includes hot or cold pre-cooked meals, sushi, muffins, wraps, salads, sandwiches, tuna cans, soft drinks, as well as personal hygiene products and non-prescription medicines.
Payment is processed automatically upon exiting the store via the customer's credit card, which is linked to the app. Alternatively, customers can also opt to pay via the store's self-checkout terminals.
© 2019 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.
