Russia’s X5 Retail Group has announced that it has launched a contactless shopping service via its mobile app.
The retailer has developed the Express Scan technology to ensure the safety of customers and offer a ‘no queue’, checkout-free shopping experience.
The service will allow customers to scan products and make payments using their mobile phones, without queuing in a checkout aisle.
'Challenging Situation'
CEO of X5 Retail Group, Igor Shekhterman, commented, “With the world still coping with a challenging epidemiological situation, personal safety comes to the forefront. This is especially true for retail, where it dictates the choice of location and channel for food purchases.
“At X5, we are attuned to the needs and the customer journey of our audiences, which enables us to provide them with an optimal service offering of fully contactless, fast and safe shopping powered by user-friendly scanning and mobile payment technologies – with no cashier interaction at all.”
Pilot Phase
The company is testing the technology in approximately 60 Pyaterochka and 30 Perekrestok stores in Moscow.
Shekhterman added, “Our new Express Scan service will be piloted simultaneously across two retail chains, which will allow us to test multiple usage scenarios and lay the groundwork for a new shopping model that is best suited to what our customers want out of the food market.”
The pilot will run until the end of September, after which the company will collect customer feedback to improvise the service and decide on extending the service to more stores.
Express Scan App
To access the contactless shopping system, customers are required to download Х5's Express Scan app and register with their X5 ID.
Customers can link MasterCard and VISA cards to their app profile or pay using Apple Pay or Google Pay, the retailer said.
The app is equipped with an interactive map that guides users to their nearest X5 store offering the Express Scan facility.
X5 Retail Group has also integrated the Pyaterochka and Perekrestok loyalty programmes into Express Scan.
The app will also allow users to access a specific store's promotions and earn points on regular shopping.
In addition, the app also offers full descriptions of products, including contents, country of origin, weight and the current price.
How It Works
Purchases with Express Scan are initiated and completed with the help of QR codes placed in the store entrance area.
Customers add products to the basket by scanning barcodes with their phone cameras.
Payments are processed with a single tap on the app before exiting the store or via a self-checkout.
Express Scan does not support the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products, the retailer added.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
