Sainsbury’s is set to become the latest big-name retailer to trial cashierless technology in its stores, with a view to extending its roll out.
The grocer will launch the SmartShop trial in London’s Clapham North Station, allowing shoppers to scan items as they shop via their phones, and pay for the using Apple Pay, meaning there is no need to queue.
“Technology and changing customer shopping habits have transformed the way people buy their groceries,” group chief digital officer Clodagh Moriarty said.
“The latest version of SmartShop, with its new payment feature, will make it super quick for customers to get in and out of the store for those that want to scan, pay and go.”
A growing number of retailers are beginning to experiment with cashierless technology in their stores, as the contactless payments become increasingly common, expected to account for a third of all in-store payments by 2020.
Both Tesco and the Co-op have trialled similar technologies in their stores in Welwyn Garden City and support centre in Manchester respectively.
Online giant Amazon has also launched two Amazon Go stores in America, which automatically charge customers when they place an item in their basket.
Amazon is expected to roll out a further six cashierless stores by the end of the year, but it’s not if or when it plans to bring them to the UK.
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