Sainsbury’s lets shoppers skip tills with new SmartShop trial
Sainsbury’s has launched a trial allowing customers to pay directly on its handheld SmartShop devices
Sainsbury’s has launched a trial allowing customers to pay directly on its handheld SmartShop devices, removing the need to visit a traditional checkout as part of wider efforts to streamline the shopping experience.
According to The Grocer, the new functionality, currently being tested in two stores—Richmond and Kempton—marks the first time shoppers using the in-store handsets can complete payment without queuing at tills.
Customers can simply tap their card on the device to pay, before choosing to print or email their receipt and returning the handset at the designated bay.
While app users have been able to pay via their smartphones since 2022, the move caters to shoppers who prefer physical handsets—often to save phone battery—according to the supermarket‘s future stores director Darren Sinclair.
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“It’s a bit more ergonomic,” Sinclair said. “I think about this as trying to reduce friction, improve payment and simplify the shopping journey, as well as the future potential space.”
Sinclair added that encouraging more shoppers to use SmartShop offers deeper insights into store behaviour through heatmapping technology, which tracks movement patterns around the store without identifying individuals. “That’s massively insightful when we are working out store formats, or when we are doing Nectar screens for suppliers,” he said.
The retailer is still in the early stages of testing and is focused on refining the concept.
Some functions, such as applying colleague discounts or scanning physical Nectar cards, are not yet supported. As with existing SmartShop use, staff will continue to carry out random basket checks to manage shrinkage.
Sainsbury’s has also begun rolling out AI-driven video scanning technology to a select number of stores.
The system automatically checks that all items are scanned at self-checkouts and alerts customers if something is missed—part of a broader till upgrade launched back in August 2024.
A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman told The Grocer: “We regularly review the security measures in our stores and our decisions to implement them are based on a range of factors, including offering our customers a smooth checkout experience.”
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