Aurora Fashions group has teamed up with online payment company PayPal to offer customers the chance to use their smartphones to pay at its stores, it has been announced today.
Owner of retailers Oasis, Coast, Warehouse and Karen Millen, Aurora will launch the PayPal inStore app tomorrow across 230 of its stores and aims to make in store payments quicker and easier for its 15 million shoppers.
Available on iPhone, iPad and Android devices, this allows customers to use a unique barcode and transaction number which is then scanned to take payment from the customers PayPal account.
The app also allows the user to manage payments, discounts and refunds and aims to be entirely secure to ensure payment safety.
Users must enter a PIN number to open the app, which works even when there is no mobile or Wi-Fi signal, and no financial or personal data is stored on the phone to avoid fraudulent payments.
Cameron McLean, Managing Director at PayPal UK, welcomed the move, explaining that Aurora and any future retail partners do not need to install new systems in order to make in-store mobile payments.
“Today marks the start of a quiet revolution in the way we shop on the high street,” he said.
“We‘ve created a simple, secure way to use a mobile phone to pay in your favourite stores. The revolution starts today at Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen and Coast.
“The lines between the online world and high street will soon disappear altogether: research we carried out last year amongst major retailers suggested that 2016 will be the year you won‘t need a wallet to shop on the British high street. A phone will be enough.”
Requesting a refund in store for an online purchase is another benefit of the app and PayPal expects that its latest offering will see a great increase in mobile payments. In 2011, the company handled $4 billion (£2.6 billion) such payments and this is set to rise to $7 billion this year.
Ish Patel, Group Omnichannel Director at Aurora Fashions, explained that tech-savvy consumers now demand more from their shopping experience and that ease of use is a primary concern.
“Customers demand more from physical stores: outstanding service and a more personalised experience enabled by new technology,” he said.
“Catering for payment flexibility is a now a crucial part of ensuring we are providing customers with a seamless experience by merging digital commerce with physical retailing.
“Our partnership with PayPal allows us to take the next step in our omnichannel journey, ensuring customers can safely and securely purchase items using their own mobile phones.
“We‘re proud to be innovating on the UK high street and continuing to lead the way in providing a new kind of shopping experience.”
