From the depths of a Wal-Mart in Rogers, Ark. comes another Scan & Go, Wal-Mart’s plan to speed you through its stores using that little computer you carry around in your pocket. The company is testing an iPhone scanning system that would let customers scan items while they shop. You’d still have to stop off at a cash register to pay for your goods, but Wal-Mart says this newly proposed method of shopping could save $12 million a second, which only makes me think: Wow – Wal-Mart makes a lot of damn money!
The trial comes after Wal-Mart’s chief financial officer, Charles Holley, announced plans in March to add more self-checkout lanes, where shoppers scan and bag items without the help of cashiers. About 1,600 of the more than 4,500 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in the U.S. include a traditional self-checkout option.
The experiment seems to be aimed more at speeding up lines and probably gaining access and insight into customer shopping habits rather than a move on the mobile payment chess board. The company recently announced it was joining other retail giants like Target and Lowe’s in a separate mobile app ecosystem called Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX).
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