Casino Unveils a Mobile Payment Service

More retailers are now focusing on the payment step and aiming to solve the waiting time issue. Latest example to date: Casino is rolling out a mobile payment solution based on the Lyf Pay app in their Casino Supermarchés and Géant Casino locations.

Just a few months after the launch of their “Casino Max” app, Casino is betting on a mobile payment solution. This service comes in addition to a set of basic features including a virtual loyalty card, discounts and a feature enabling the users to locate the stores.

The aim is to streamline the checkout step rather than drop it altogether. The customer adds his shopping at the register, opens up the app and clicks “pay”. He then receives a barcode to be presented at the cash counter.

This feature will be tested at one Géant location in St-Étienne, prior to a phased rollout in other stores in their network. It should be implemented globally by the beginning of March.

Comments – The retail industry still getting rid of waiting time

According to a survey, 40% of the interrogated French consumers expressed their dissatisfaction when it comes to waiting in line at checkout, and 24% even gave up their shopping cart because of this issue. Larger retail players are trying different ideas to get rid of the checkout step, or make it easier. To this respect, many have opted for a mobile approach.

In October last year, Monoprix presented a self-checkout mobile app called Monop’easy. This service is also smartphone-based. And, yet another example, Auchan also decided to rely on Lyf Pay, along with their MyAuchan app to design a mobile payment feature.

However, they are not letting go of the checkout step altogether, these retailers are considering new solutions reminiscent of the Amazon Go concept. Casino is also working on rolling out a Scan & Go system. Auchan, for their part, partnered with Keyneosoft to create a mobile app that would bind self-scanning and payment. Retailers keep looking into several possibilities at once to cut down, or remove the checkout step.