Handheld Cashiers
Walmart puts checkout in the hands of Texas shoppers
Walmart will soon give a select number of Texas shoppers the power to scan their purchases right out of the palm of their hand. According to a report by Reuters, the retail giant will triple the size of a pilot program called “Scan & Go” to nearly 200 stores, including locations in Austin, Houston and Dallas.
Scan & Go, which began testing in 2012, enables any customer with an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to scan their items using the Walmart app on their mobile devices. They can keep track of all the items in their carts, along with total cost. Shoppers then bypass the normal checkout lanes for a special self-checkout register.
The next inevitable question is whether shoppers will adhere to the honor system when scanning their own items.
For now, Scan & Go users will not pay for their items via apps on their devices; they will make traditional payments. Although the current app is limited to Apple products, the program will include Android devices soon enough, according to the retailer.
The mobile scanner signals Walmart’s push to create a more interactive experience for shoppers who embrace smartphone technology, which includes more than half of all Walmart shoppers.
The next inevitable question is whether shoppers will adhere to the honor system when scanning their own items. A Walmart representative opted not to comment on the issue to CultureMap, because the program is still in its early stages.
Walmart will focus on receiving a larger pool of customer feedback for Scan & Go before any additional expansions. Gibu Thomas, senior vice president of mobile and digital at Walmart Global eCommerce said earlier in the week, “We want our customer feedback to dictate the experience.”
