Long-standing promises and visions suggest that someday, consumers will be able to walk through grocery stores, scan items as they put them in their shopping baskets, and pay virtually, without ever having to stand in the checkout line. Various trials have been undertaken, by multiple retailers. But for some reason or another, the rollout in reality keeps getting delayed. Why is that?

Part of the hindrance is technical. The Scan It! app that Stop & Shop introduced recently requires a connection to the store’s wifi, a connection that often fails, leading consumers to assign it relatively poor ratings on the Google Play review site. Imagine the frustration associated with going through the entire store and filling your cart, only to lose the connection and all the saved prices just as you head toward the exit.

Compatibility might be another challenge. Some of the apps are designed only for Android or for Apple devices. Although the Scan & Go mobile app from Sam’s Club earns high ratings for its performance, it only works on iPhones currently. Still, the new offering suggests some promise, and a new store that is set to open in South Carolina will be fully equipped with the mobile checkout capability.

Another factor is the users themselves. When Walmart introduced a similar Scan & Go app in 200 of its stores, shoppers indicated that they could not figure out how to use it effectively, leading Sam’s Club’s sister company to halt the trial. Kroger also has switched from a scanner system to a mobile app version, in the hopes that it will work better for shoppers.

If the technology works, and if it is compatible with a shopper’s device, and if the shopper finds it easy to use, the promise of mobile scanning is immense. No more checkout lines would save shoppers time and frustration, while also enabling retailers to cut their labor costs. If only all those “ifs” would align at the same time, in the same app.

Discussion Questions: 

1. What is holding back scan & checkout technology?
2. Would you use this technology if you could? Why or why not?

 Source: Matt Ryan, Retail Wire, July 18, 2016