Wal Mart Presents “Scan and Go”

• In line with its commitment to improve self-service in store Wal-Mart, is currently testing a mobile app letting its customers pay their purchases in one quick step on their own.

• Wal-Mart’s app for iPhone allows them to scan their products while shopping in the store departments, and head to the self-checkout counters to pay their purchases by card.

• These convenient services will soon be complemented with additional features: ability to load and track a shopping cart or check on products availability in stores directly from their mobile phone.

• The app is being tested with the help its employees in a store nearby Wal-Mart’s headquarters: those owning an iPhone have been invited to take part.

Source: Reuters

• A recent study by NCR Corporation highlights that 70% of US consumers still expect these kinds of service as they feel they could help them save time.

• Beyond customer satisfaction, Wal-Mart also seeks to reduce its management costs through relying on mobile devices that belong to its customers: making them more independent while helping with automating cash counters (the company said it spends about 12 million dollars in cashier wages every one second).

• Once the test phase over, “Scan and Go” could eventually be enhanced through the addition of payment features, as US main retailers (MCX) are now developing their own m-payment alternative (see August 2012 Insight).