As large retail and grocery stores are fighting to see who can create the greatest convenience, we all seem to win! Meijer stores, a chain predominantly located in the Midwest, decided they would start introducing a new technology. Amazon sort of started the process with their few chain stores, but Meijer is the first major brand to implement this type.
Rather than standing in line, either for the self-checkout or for a clerk, you can now scan your items as you put them in your basket. It’s called Shop & Scan and was tested in stores in the Grand Rapids area for about 15 months and now looks to be released in all Meijer stores today. It is a great way to make shopping that much quicker and easier for their customers.
How Shop & Scan Works
If you decide to use this option, you can log into the Meijer app on your phone and scan the barcodes of items you want to purchase. You can even bag the items as you shop. As you do that, the system will tally up your total. When you’re done shopping, there’s a special checkout lane where you can just scan the barcode and the payment goes through. It only takes a few seconds to complete.
“As we’ve rolled the program out in six states, the response has been incredibly enthusiastic,” said Stephanie Brackenridge, director of customer experience for Meijer. “Customers have appreciated the ability to have a choice in shopping how they want, depending on how their day is going. Many are finding the opportunity to personalize their store visit with a cell phone is a great way to save time and help avoid lines.”
As a busy shopper, you even have the option to go onto the Meijer website and put together your shopping list and ‘download’ mPerks coupons that automatically apply to your order. No more having to clip coupons and scanning each one individually. Meijer has stated that more than 80% of the customers who downloaded and used Shop & Go use it every time they shop, proving its usefulness at saving time at the store.
Target, Kroger, Walmart, and other stores are all looking at developing technology that makes it easier and cheaper to shop with them. As online shopping continues to grow, more businesses are making brick-and-mortar stores worth the time to stop in.
