Marks & Spencer has announced the launch of checkout-free shopping technology 'Scan & Shop' across all stores in Ireland.
This means that customers can quickly buy their groceries up to €50 without visiting a till, using the M&S Sparks app on their smartphone.
M&S is the first major retailer in Ireland to provide a till-free in-store shopping experience for customers.
How Scan & Shop Works
Scan & Shop is housed within the M&S Sparks app, the retailer explained.
To use the payment service, customers simply:
1.Scan their items as they shop
2.Pay using a pre-saved card or Apple pay (up to €50)
3.Go without visiting a checkout
Eddie Murphy, trading director of Ireland, M&S, commented, “Digitally enabled stores that offer a seamless customer experience are a crucial part of our transformation and our ambition to be a Digital First retailer.
"Our customers are so busy, any tech that can speed up the shopping experience is a massive benefit to them. Crucially, it also means our brilliant colleagues are freed up to offer great service in other parts of the store, helping to improve the overall customer experience."
Sparks Loyalty Programme
Scan & Shop is the newest addition to the award-winning Sparks loyalty programme, having won the 2021 New Loyalty Launch of the Year & Irish Loyalty Award Programme of the Year at the Irish Loyalty Awards.
The new service builds the existing Sparks offering including exclusive deals, promotions, and rewards - from Apothecary Candles, Percy Pigs and the opportunity of being rewarded with your entire shopping for free - all available through shopping with Sparks.
Membership Growth
Since the launch of the Sparks programme in Ireland, membership numbers have grown rapidly.
"We have a huge number of customers benefiting from the exclusive deals every day," Murphy added.
"We are also conscious of making the rewards and offers as relevant as possible to our members such as offering a 20% discount on school uniforms this year – available throughout the summer to help families with back-to-school costs.
“Now, we want to give customers back time. The Scan & Shop service will eliminate the need to carry cash or stand in queues and enables our customers to keep tallies of their shop to help manage their spend in-store.”
© 2022 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more technology news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
