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Take me to PSFK iQThe automated and contactless processes adopted by retailers during the pandemic for health and safety reasons are proving that they, or at least their next-gen technology, have staying power and may have even driven a permanent behavioral shift among shoppers, who now expect a certain level of “on-my-own-time convenience” when completing purchases in-store or online.
Retailers are leaning into this shift and rolling out cashierless and checkout-free self-service tools, technologies, and applications across their store locations to integrate convenience and drive sales around a wide variety of products and services. The ability to deliver goods to customers at any time or place is becoming an increasingly key competitive advantage.
QuikTrip is one of the nation’s largest convenience retailers, with over 950 stores across 16 states. Amazon’s cashier-less technology, which was originally available only at Amazon Go convenience stores, allows customers to insert their credit card at the store’s entry gate, shop like normal, and then simply leave. The frictionless shopping experience uses innovative technology to track shopper purchases and charge their inserted card as they select items.
QuikTrip has so far rolled out the new technology in just one, gas-free location in downtown Tulsa Oklahoma, but the retailer's future-fit approach to the seamless checkout experience may prove pivotal as QuikTrip looks to accelerate growth and drive competitive advantage in the future.
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This article originally appeared in the PSFK iQ report, The Grocery Store Playbook.