Sainsbury’s introduces contactless, checkout-free shopping
New initiative available at Holborn Circus using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Sainsbury’s is launching a new in-store digital innovation with a contactless, checkout-free way to shop. Building on the success of SmartShop, which grew 173% last year, SmartShop Pick & Go is using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
The technology is in use in Sainsbury’s convenience store at Holborn Circus. It is the latest example of Sainsbury’s strategy to use innovative technology to make shopping convenient for customers and builds on digital initiatives such as My Nectar Prices, Same Day Home Delivery and Click & Collect and the further rollout of tech-based On Demand service Chop Chop.
To enter the store, customers scan a QR code using their SmartShop app which is linked to a credit or debit card. Just Walk Out technology automatically adds anything the customer takes off the shelf to their virtual cart and removes anything they put back on the shelf. The customer leaves the store by scanning the QR code to exit through the store’s automatic gates.
Store colleagues will be on hand in the store to assist customers and keep shelves well-stocked. The Holborn store was selected to use Just Walk Out technology as it is primarily focused on offering on-the-go food and drinks.
SmartShop is available in around 1,400 Sainsbury’s stores, with sales up 173% versus last year.
