Co-op follows in footsteps of Amazon Go with ‘pay-in-aisle’ service
The Co-op is trialling a new ‘pay-in-aisle’ plan that will allow customers to scan and buy for their products as they shop.
The supermarket chain has teamed up with payment software firm ACI Worldwide to bring in the new system across 30 Co-op food stores in England, Scotland and Wales by early next month.
Customers will scan products on their own device as they shop and product costs will be deducted from their Apple Pay or Google Pay accounts when they have finished.
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The move follows in the footsteps of Amazon Go’s checkout-less convenience store launched last where, where shoppers present the Amazon Go app at the front of the store and begin shopping.
The Co-op’s new technology sits alongside existing payment methods, including cashiers and self-scan tills.
“Consumers increasingly demand flexibility and choice when it comes to payment methods, and paying via mobile app is becoming more popular in the UK, especially in urban areas and among millennials, said Andrew Quartermaine, vice president, ACI Worldwide.
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Mark Pettigrew, director of Retail Support, Co-op, added: “Technology is bringing unprecedented levels of change to retailing, with speed and ease seen as 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 playing a lesser role in society.”