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UK supermarket trialing checkout-less shopping

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UK supermarket Sainsbury's is set to trial a new app via which customers can pay for their shopping instead of visiting a checkout
UK supermarket Sainsbury's is set to trial a new app via which customers can pay for their shopping instead of visiting a checkout
The new Sainsbury's app will also allows users to create a shopping list and will direct them to the items once in-store

No-one likes spending any longer at the supermarket than they have to. Whilst self-service checkouts may have sped things up a touch, one UK supermarket is now set to trial doing away with checkouts altogether. The new Sainsbury's app lets users scan items at the shelf and pay via their smartphone.

Gizmag featured Sainsbury's recently when it announced that one of its stores will soon be powered entirely by the food that it fails to sell, which would otherwise go to waste. This most recent announcement feels similarly innovative, in pushing us towards the supermarket of tomorrow.

The new app is designed to cut the time it takes to shop, which Sainsbury's says it has proven itself to do. Users will be able to create a shopping list prior to visiting a store, which Sainsbury’s digital and technology director Jon Rudoe says is partly in recognition that grocery shopping starts when you realize you need an item. In addition, it will allow users to browse for good deals and offers more easily.

The new Sainsbury's app will also allows users to create a shopping list and will direct them to the items once in-store

Once in-store, the app will direct users to each of the items on their shopping list. Users can then scan the barcode of the items and place them straight into a shopping bag. When the customer has completed their shopping, they can pay using their smartphone, eliminating the need to visit a checkout.

The new app is due to be trialed in stores starting in the next few weeks, and is expected to be in the hands of some customers from late next year.

Source: Sainsbury's

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3 comments
Matfink
Surely there has to be some element of bag weighing or they'll have to retrain their redundant checkout staff as security video watchers.
vcr
When you go shopping just for a specific item, you invariably come home with much more than you intended to buy, so the concept of just shopping for your desired items is a bit off - then - girls mostly enjoy shopping, so they may or may not like this idea - I think having your needed items held in a list for you is good, then you can retrieve it as you go around the store, maybe write up the list in a phone-app and have those items "light up" as you go around the store - that would be great !! but since shopping for groceries for most females is a lot different than just rushing in for 3 or 4 items, but is more of an expedition of discovery (what's new?) where we often get tempted to buy items we didn't have on the list - I don't see the any point for this except to allow people to shop-as-they-go, and walk out without standing in a line.
JPAR
vcR "girls mostly enjoy shopping, so they may or may not like this idea" Are you still 1iving in the 20th century???!?
No, the main weakness with this app is that you need to create a shopping list before you go. Very few will be bothered to do that.