How to create a Self-Shopping App with Scan and Go technology
Karen Savage
Head of Sales at Anyline
We asked shoppers about their expectations when using Scan and Go technology and self-shopping in a recent survey. The survey found most of them appreciated the experience and, more importantly, said they would prefer shopping in a store that offered Scan and Go.
There are numerous retailers already experimenting with the technology. For those thinking about getting started, here’s a look at how to get started using Scan and Go and Self-Shopping apps. In this blog, we will go into detail:
Jump to key topics
Jump to key topics
1. 4 in 5 Shoppers have their phones in hand or in reach
We asked US shoppers about their habits and experience when going in stores and with Scan and Go in particular. Consumer demand for mobile-first solutions has skyrocketed in the last two years. From banking to Ubers and even energy management, customers reach first for their smartphones when aiming to complete their life admin.
In fact, the ubiquity of our mobile devices has followed us out of the house! According to our statistics,
34% of consumers shop with their smartphone in hand, while 45% have their device within reach or somewhere easily accessible.
And they are being put to good use! Respondents gave us dozens of uses for their smartphones when shopping in-store: here are the top 5:
- Comparing prices (40%)
- Comparing brands (25%)
- Building shopping lists (22%)
- Checking if products are currently in stock (22%)
- Reading product reviews (22%)
Unlike other shopping technology, scan-and-go shopping benefits from a ’BYOD’ – or ‘bring your own device’ approach. Since shoppers are already comfortable with using their smartphones while browsing your aisles, they will adapt with ease to integrating contactless shopping and payment directly on their own device.
2. How does Scan and Go work?
Scan and Go is a type of checkout-less shopping solution for customers. It focuses on one simple principle: customers can scan their products when picking them up off the shelf and then pay directly through the app or a dedicated kiosk. It’s that simple.
Let’s go into more detail. Here’s the customer’s journey using Scan and Go:
- Logging into the Scan and Go app – The customer logs into an app on their smartphone to start the shopping session. The app registers the customer’s information, such as preferred payment methods, so that payment can happen at the end.
- Customers scan item barcodes with their smartphone camera – To add items to their digital cart, customers simply have to scan barcodes, just like a cashier would at the checkout in a traditional shopping trip. The items remain in the digital cart, unless removed, until payment.
- When they’re done, customers pay through the app – They can use their preferred online payment method, which the app can store for them.
- Customers can leave – In most cases, nothing more is needed, and customers can just leave with their purchase.
3. What do you need to use Scan and Go?
When Scan and Go was initially launched, it relied on dedicated devices that had a barcode scanner on them. Retailers would provide these devices to customers for use. However, this technology has improved significantly.
With the use of OCR and mobile data capture technology, any smart device that has a camera on it is now able to scan barcodes in milliseconds without any significant risk of making a mistake. There’s no need to have a dedicated device to manage in store. That’s because most customers already have a camera-enabled smartphone they are already carrying around with them through the store.
To offer Scan and Go to customers, retailers only need to give their customers a way to download the app to enable a checkout-less shopping experience. They are already using numerous apps on their phone – this is just another way to do so.
4. What brings Scan and Go to your store?
Scan and Go has many benefits:
- It’s faster, which makes busy shoppers happy.
- It eliminates the need to have specialized devices or checkout kiosks, making more room in the store for products.
- Independent and health-conscious shoppers feel safer using it.
- There are fewer associates needed for checking out customers and can instead support customer needs.
- It uses a camera-enabled smartphone – not expensive equipment.
Customers love this type of shopping experience. Shoppers can use their smartphones to gain enterprise-grade barcode scanners that manage their entire shopping trip. It’s an effortless process for them.
Scan and Go also benefits retailers who offer it:
- It provides first-hand data on the customer journey and shopping habits.
- Scan and Go allows retail workers to be more available to customers’ needs.
- With the right tools, it can help reduce shrinkage and theft.
5. Getting started by creating a self shopping app
Scan & Go is the easy way to get into checkout-less retail. It’s easily implemented into any existing shopping experience without any physical modifications or improvements to the store necessary. All that’s necessary is the customer’s smartphone to use it.
Anyline’s Barcode scanning SDK can be implemented into an existing retailer’s app or website, with the support of iOS, Android, and Windows 10 and cross-platform integration frameworks such as Xamarin, React-Native, Cordova, and AnylineJS for web-based integration.
Test it for yourself today with our demo app, or get the 30-day free trial for our SDK.
