Overview
Last year, Woolworths trialled checkout-free shopping at its Double Bay store. And we guess it was a success, because the supermarket chain has now expanded its Scan&Go service across the Sydney CBD. As of today, Thursday, June 27, customers at four metro stores — Pitt Street, Met Centre, George Street or York Street — are now able to use an app to self-scan and pay for groceries.
Here's how it works: download the Scan&Go app on your iPhone or Android, and use it to scan products as you walk through one of the participating stores. Once you've finished your shop, you pay via the app, too, then tap-off at a dedicated kiosk near the exit. No human interactions necessary.
To download the app, you need to be Woolworths Rewards member and must upload your credit or debit card details.
Woolies also rolled out Scan&Go at its Mona Vale shop last week, and Double Bay is still using the technology, bringing the total number of stores offering the service to six. Going forward, the app will be trialled across more Sydney stores, too.
The new technology has already been embraced overseas, with retail giant Amazon opening its first checkout-free, fully automated shop-and-go grocery store in Seattle earlier this year, and China's bricks-and-mortar Alibaba stores using a similar technology.
Woolworth's Scan&Go is now available at the CBD's Pitt Street, Met Centre, George Street and York Street, as well as Mona Vale and Double Bay.