Customers at the Co-op Group will soon be able to check out using their phones and other mobile devices.
After piloting its pay-in-aisle technology in 2018, the retailer is rolling it out to more than 30 Co-op Food stores across England, Scotland and Wales by late August.
The technology sits along existing payment methods – including cashiers and self-scan tills – to provide added choice, speed, ease and convenience, especially at busier times.
The app, which is easy to register and use, enables customers to scan products on their own device as they walk around the store, with the cost of the shop deducted from their Apple or Google Pay account with the touch of a button, without the need to visit a till.
Members can also have their 5% reward added to their account on the purchase of own-brand products, while the Group will donate a further 1% to local causes.
The new technology responds to a 10% decline in the popularity of notes and coins in Co-op stores during the last two years. The use of contactless, cards and other payment methods now accounts for more than one in two transactions even though cash remains common in convenience stores.
Mark Pettigrew, director of retail support, said: “Technology is bringing unprecedented levels of change to retailing, with speed and ease key drivers for time-pressed consumers. We know that people adopt technology at different speeds, and while cash is here to stay it is clear that it is increasingly playing a lesser role in society.
“Retailers need to adapt and be agile, and this app builds added choice and convenience into the retail experience for our members and customers, while appealing to new shoppers.”
He added: “People lead busy lives and, shoppers value their time. Whether it’s a train to catch or on the school run this technology cuts queues and saves time.
“It can give our stores increased opportunity to replenish stock and increase product availability so we are at our best even at our busiest times, and enables customers to complete their shopping quickly and get on with the rest of their day and what matters most to them.”
