UK retailer Sainsbury's is currently testing a new checkout-less system, which enables customers to pay for groceries using their mobile phones.
Retail Gazette reports that the supermarket began trialling the new technology at its Euston Station store, in London, earlier this month.
In order to pay for their groceries without having to queue at the checkout, customers must download an app, scan items with their phones as they go around the store, and automatically pay for them online before leaving.
New Technology
“We are always looking for new ways to help our customers live well, and saving customers time is one way we can do so,” said Natalie Dunn, Sainsbury’s head of customer experience.
“Experimenting with a checkout-free experience is a first for Sainsbury’s and many of our customers, so we are keen to understand how we can take the concept and develop an offering that is genuinely useful for those who shop with us. We are very excited to have taken this first step,” Dunn said.
The Sainsbury's 'SmartShop' app is already available to download, and it is reported that the new technology could be extended to 50 stores by the end of the year if the trial is successful.
This is not the first instance of checkout-free technology. Last month, it was reported that US retailer Walmart was expanding its 'Scan & Go' service, which enables shoppers to pay for their items via smartphones or hand-held scanners.
Online retail giant Amazon also unveiled a similar technology last year, for its bricks-and-mortar grocery concept Amazon Go, however, this still only has one prototype store, in Seattle, Washington.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
