Scan & Go in Times of COVID-19

A pandemic isn’t something you would anticipate as a retailer. Keeping customers and employees safe and happy while still complying with official health regulations is quite the challenge. Luckily, Scan & Go can lift some of this burden off your shoulders. 

In 2020, many retailers faced an unknown situation, and the challenges resulting from it. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world – and especially the retail sector – like lightning. Managing this new reality was never going to be easy, but luckily, we have a range of technological possibilities today that can help counter this crisis. Mobile self-checkout is one of them. 

COVID-19 regulations in retail stores – and how Scan & Go can help 

One thing is certain: official health regulations are not a means to make life more difficult for retailers, but to protect the health and well-being of customers and the general public. Nevertheless, many of these interventions pose an additional challenge, such as 

• hygiene: cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly,  
• set number of customers in store, according to store size,  
• customers should only touch their own basket and items,  
• keeping a safe distance from other shoppers,  
• no interaction with employees,  
• paying with card or mobile, not with cash, and 
• covering mouth and nose with a face mask. 

While some of these measures may seem hard to comply with, by allowing customers to use a mobile self-checkout solution on their own phones, retailers can solve several of these issues.

Not only does a Scan & Go app resolve the issue of many people having to queue up in proximity to each other, it also makes most interactions with employees redundant, as the app provides any information concerning location, specifics, or availability of items.  

Furthermore, the mobile payment feature allows shoppers to complete their checkout without paying at a register and potentially having to touch a terminal or its number keys. On that note, it also eliminates the risk of transmitting viruses or bacteria when having staff handle the items in the shopping basket at checkout. 

In short, Scan & Go includes many important benefits – not just with a pandemic like COVID-19, but from a health aspect in general.