The increased demand for convenient retail solutions is seeing new initiatives being spearheaded by brand of all kinds, which is what's at work with the latest Sainsbury’s store that is completely free of tills.
The trial grocery store experience is located in Holborn, London and utilizes the SmartShop Scan, Pay & Go technology in order to let shoppers avoid checking out. The design of the store has been reworked with no checkout areas, which allows staff to restock shelves and provide customers with more personalized assistance.
The new Sainsbury’s store was discussed by Group Chief Digital Officer Clodagh Moriarty who said, "We know our customers value their time and many want to shop as quickly as possible – technology is key to that. This is an experiment rather than a new format for us – it hasn’t been done in the UK before and we’re really excited to understand how our customers respond to the app experience. We’ll be with our customers and colleagues all the way over the coming months, iterating continuously based on their feedback before we decide if, how and where we make this experience more widely available."
App Payment-Only Grocery Stores
This Sainsbury’s Store Features a Till-Free Experience
Trend Themes
1. Payment-only Grocery Stores - Eliminating traditional checkouts with app-based payment systems to enhance convenience and speed up the shopping experience.
2. Scan, Pay & Go Technology - Incorporating mobile scanning and payment technologies to expedite in-store shopping and eliminate checkout lines.
3. Personalized Assistance - Restructuring store designs to allow for more personalized customer service, while also increasing staff efficiency through the elimination of traditional checkouts.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Implementing app-based payment systems and mobile scanning technology to streamline the shopping experience and boost customer satisfaction in brick-and-mortar stores.
2. Hospitality - Exploring the integration of similar app-based payment systems and mobile scanning technology to facilitate faster and more efficient service in hotels and restaurants, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.
3. Technology - Developing new technologies and software to progress app-based payment systems and mobile scanning technology, innovating the retail and hospitality industries alike.