Convenience store operator 7-Eleven is rolling out scan-and-go options for customers in 14 stores in Dallas later this week, with an aim to equip all of its U.S. stores with the technology by next year.
According to a report in USA Today, the aim is to make the stores more convenient for customers. With the Scan & Pay feature within 7-Eleven's mobile app, customers can scan merchandise they want to purchase. The app is also connected with the 7Rewards loyalty program, so customers will be alerted to deals and discounts. Certain products, including hot food, money orders, alcohol, tobacco, and lottery tickets, will still require human intervention.
In an interview with USA Today, Gurmeet Singh, the chief digital officer for the Texas chain of convenience stores, said the rollout of scan-and-go technology is aimed at luring more customers by enabling them to get in and out of the store in a quicker time frame. The stores are particularly hectic during peak morning and late afternoon times, noted the report.
"We’re always looking to innovate and disrupt," Singh said. "Customers are always on the go … How can we make every 7-Eleven a breeze? How can they move in and out faster?"
According to the report, 7-Eleven built the technology in five weeks and spent one month testing it at the employee store at its headquarters before rolling it out in Dallas. The move comes on the heels of Sam's Club's announcement that it is gearing up to open a new store in Dallas, which will act as a testbed for cutting-edge retail technology.
Sam’s Club said in a blog post in late October that it will test mobile checkout, a camera system for inventory management, electronic shelf labels, in-store navigation technology, augmented reality and artificial intelligence shopping. The store was first announced in June, with Sam’s Club saying it would be a real-world lab for bringing more technology to the shopping experience.
“We’ll use all available technologies – including computer vision, augmented reality, machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics, just to name a few – to redefine the retail experience,” said Jamie Iannone, CEO of SamsClub.com and EVP of membership and technology. “Sam’s Club Now is a lab our technologists will use to develop and refine concepts before they scale. It also happens to be a club that’s open for business.”
