Mobile Consumers can now enjoy a fast shopping experience with mobile scanning technology.
Retail giant Walmart is widening its mobile commerce footprint with its new Scan & Go mobile app that allows iPhone users the ability to scan the items they want to buy, which they can then purchase at a self-checkout with quick convenience.
New smartphone scanning technology provides shoppers with independence.
According to information from Walmart’s Scan & Go promotional material, “Scan & Go is a new way to shop in Walmart stores that allows YOU to take control of your shopping experience.” The new scanning technology transforms iPhone devices into mini mobile shopping helpers that allow consumers to browse the store, scan what they want, place the selected scanned products in their basket or cart, and head to a self-checkout where they pay for their scanned goods and leave. Customers can shop and go with no fuss and skip the long checkout line.
The new mobile commerce application is expected to reach 200 stores.
Currently, approximately 70 Walmart stores are Scan & Go compatible. Based on information from a published report, the total number of stores expected to offer this mobile commerce service is 200. When all is said and done, the company’s aim is to introduce the scan technology to 12 new markets in addition to the Atlanta market and the areas near Bentonville, Arkansas where the technology already exists.
iPhone users who would like to gain access to the Walmart application will find it available for download at Apple’s App Store. When the user accesses the app in a compatible Walmart store, a message will be displayed giving the consumer the option to choose “Store Mode”. From this point, they can begin scanning product barcodes with their smartphone. When the customer is done shopping, they take their items to the self-checkout where they will able to pay for these pre-scanned products by transferring the data from their phone to the register by scanning a QR code displayed on the resister screen.
An Android version of Scan & Go is not yet available but will be released in the near future. Currently, the mobile commerce app is only available for Apple iPhone devices that run iOS 5 or higher.
Retail industry beginning to see an impact from mobile payments
The retail industry has come to a crossroad wherein it must discover the best way to engage consumers from around the world. Technology has played a major role in bringing the industry to this crossroad, especially as the Internet came to determine how successful many retailers would become in the future. The advent of mobile technology sparked evolution within the retail industry, and now the rise of mobile commerce is having the same effect. The future of the retail industry is beginning to look almost entirely dependent on mobile technology and retailers that shirk the mobile space may be setting themselves up to fail in the near future.
Retailers must focus more on mobile engagement
Mobile payments are quickly becoming more common around the world. Branding Brands CEO Christopher Mason notes that the retail industry is becoming more acclimated to the mobile space, largely due to the demands coming from consumers. Despite some interest from retailers, however, Mason suggests that most in the industry lack appropriate enthusiasm when it comes to mobile payments. Mason notes that of the 500 retailers in the world, only 40% have mobile consumer interfaces, which means many of these retailers are not providing an enjoyable experience to mobile consumer, who may soon determine the fate of these retail companies with the power held in their mobile wallets.
Wal-Mart takes note of the popularity of mobile devices
Wendy Bergh, senior director of mobile and digital strategy for Wal-Mart, notes that much of her focus in recent years has been on in-store experiences and how they can be improved through the use of mobile applications. Bergh suggests that applications are an ideal way to get consumers into physical stores, by offering these consumers discounts and services that are exclusive to physical stores and the applications used therein. Wal-Mart is currently developing a scanning application that will allow consumers to find products and purchase these products directly from their mobile device.
Mobile payments may soon dominate retail industry
Mobile payments may soon come to dictate the future of the retail industry. Consumers have shown some reluctance in participating in mobile commerce, largely due to security concerns. Many of the concerns that consumers have, however, are being addressed through the development of new mobile payments services that are more secure than their predecessors. As mobile commerce becomes more secure, it is becoming increasingly likely that consumers will favor mobile payments over traditional forms of commerce.
