Eye on Retail: Sam’s Club to test revamped payment system using computer vision
Sam’s Club wants to make it easier for customers to use its Scan & Go system, which allows a shopper to scan items as they place them in their shopping cart, and then pay for the goods in Sam’s mobile app.
The warehouse club retailer announced it has developed, filed a patent and will test new scanning technology in its high-tech innovation lab store, called Sam’s Club Now, in Dallas. Members will be able to test this technology beginning this spring using the Sam’s Club Now mobile app.
The new scanning technology uses computer vision and machine learning to help customers check out faster. It recognizes products from any angle without requiring shoppers to search for a barcode on the package as the current system does.
“Rather than having to locate the barcode and scan it just right, the camera in the app will identify the product with a simple hover and add it to the member’s shopping list,” said Eddie Garcia, VP, product and member experience, Sam’s Club. “It’s as simple as that.”
Garcia said the company also anticipates incorporating this same technology into tools used by its associates use.
“By making their jobs easier, they’re able to spend more time serving members,” he said. “Following these tests, we’ll experiment with the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to help manage member shopping lists.”
In a video demonstration, Sam’s Club showed that it might take a typical shopper 9.3 seconds to scan a package of water using the old system compared to 3.4 seconds with the newer technology. Click here to see the video.
Once this technology rolls out this spring, we invite you to test it out for yourself. Please let us know if you have any questions about this new and exciting innovation.
The warehouse club retailer announced it has developed, filed a patent and will test new scanning technology in its high-tech innovation lab store, called Sam’s Club Now, in Dallas. Members will be able to test this technology beginning this spring using the Sam’s Club Now mobile app.
The new scanning technology uses computer vision and machine learning to help customers check out faster. It recognizes products from any angle without requiring shoppers to search for a barcode on the package as the current system does.
“Rather than having to locate the barcode and scan it just right, the camera in the app will identify the product with a simple hover and add it to the member’s shopping list,” said Eddie Garcia, VP, product and member experience, Sam’s Club. “It’s as simple as that.”
Garcia said the company also anticipates incorporating this same technology into tools used by its associates use.
“By making their jobs easier, they’re able to spend more time serving members,” he said. “Following these tests, we’ll experiment with the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to help manage member shopping lists.”
In a video demonstration, Sam’s Club showed that it might take a typical shopper 9.3 seconds to scan a package of water using the old system compared to 3.4 seconds with the newer technology. Click here to see the video.
Once this technology rolls out this spring, we invite you to test it out for yourself. Please let us know if you have any questions about this new and exciting innovation.