Sainsbury’s is following in the footsteps of Amazon by trialling an app that could eventually cut out the queues and lead to checkout-free shopping.
The supermarket chain is currently testing technology that will allow shoppers to scan and pay for items on their smartphones, and leave the shop without having to wait in line.
It appears the retailer has been influenced by Amazon, which opened a checkout-free store in Seattle in December 2016, using the same type of technology found in self-driving cars.
The Sainsbury’s app allows the cost of a customer’s shopping to be deducted directly from the their bank account or credit card.
The retailer began to test the smartphone technology at its Euston Station branch earlier this month. But according to The Mail on Sunday, Sainsbury’s has not yet set a timetable to roll out the technology more widely as it is still in the experimental stage.
“We are always looking for new ways to help our customers live well – and saving customers time is one way we can do so,” Sainsbury’s head of customer experience Natalie Dunn told Retail Gazette.
“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.”
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