7-ELEVEN TESTING A NEW SCAN AND GO TECHNOLOGY
7-Eleven has decided to join the high-tech store race with the company's latest convenience perk for customers: cashier-less scan-and-go-checkout technology.
A 7-Eleven in Dallas will feature the new technology on the company's mobile app, so customers can easily scan and buy items on their smartphone. According to Gurmeet Singh, 7-Eleven's chief digital officer, the aim of "Scan & Pay" is to increase customer loyalty by providing a seamless, hassle-free checkout experience.
When a customer stops by one of these 7-Eleven stores, the "Scan & Pay" feature will automatically show up in the 7-Eleven Rewards app, which can be downloaded on Android or iPhone smartphones. On the shopping trip, customers can scan item barcodes and pay for them directly on their smartphones with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a card to rack up rewards. Before they leave the store, customers can scan a QR code to confirm that they bought their goods.
"Retailers are looking at the same trend, saying how do we create frictionless experiences," Singh told Digiday. "Imagine every consumer walking with the point of sale in their hand and they don’t have to wait in the line."
Over the past three months, 7-Eleven has been testing this technology at its Dallas-based Store Support Center and requesting customer feedback along the way. According to 7-Eleven, customers gave the feature a high rating, with most customers rating it a 4.8 out of 5 for convenience. Most of these respondents only bought one or two items, demonstrating that this “scan-and-go” technology could be helpful for quick trips.
7-Eleven’s cashier-less efforts follow those of other high-tech retailers, including Amazon and Sam’s Club, where customers can automatically buy items in a pinch. With the new “Scan & Pay” feature, 7-Eleven customers don’t have to wait to buy their favourite beverages, food, and toiletries when they visit. According to Singh, 7-Eleven aims to expand the new technology to more locations next year, to make shopping a more convenient task.