Kroger Will Be 1st to Bring Cashierless Tech to Mass Market

The Kroger Co.’s plans to expand its Scan, Bag, Go technology to 400 stores in 2018 will make it the first to provide cashier-less technology to a mass market, beating both Amazon and Walmart to the punch, according to a published report.

Customers can scan products with a handheld scanner provider by the Cincinnati-based grocer, or by using Kroger’s Scan, Bag, Go smartphone app. When finished shopping, they can go a self-checkout register to pay for their order, but eventually, they’ll be able to pay via the app, Business Insider reported, citing the company.

The publication noted Seattle-based Amazon’s plans to roll out a similar solution at its physical grocery store concept, Amazon Go, which has been held up due to various technological issues, while Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart is fine-tuning its own checkout-free concept as well as testing a cashierless system at more than a dozen stores in Texas, Florida, South Dakota, Arkansas, Georgia, and Kentucky.

In October, Kroger noted its intention to expand its 20-store Scan, Bag, Go pilot to 400 stores in the coming year as part of its Restock Kroger strategy.