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Walmart testing 'Scan & Go' in-store iPhone-based purchase system

Walmart testing 'Scan & Go' in-store iPhone-based purchase system

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iPhone Walmart Scan and Go
iPhone Walmart Scan and Go

Checking out at Walmart may soon be a much quicker process for iPhone owners, Reuters reports. The mega-retailer recently called on employees in Arkansas to test a new 'Scan & Go' feature for its IOS app, which would allow customers to scan and immediately bag items on their shopping list. They'd then be able to quickly finalize their purchase at a self-checkout counter. Presumably scanning items with the iPhone would compile a list that would be reflected during the automated payment process, though details of how such a system would work are currently unknown.

Employees of Walmart's flagship Bentonville, Arkansas location were asked to recruit friends and family for an hour-long trial run of the software, which would be videotaped and analyzed to "assess the usability" of the feature according to an internal survey. "We are simply trying to get feedback from real people on whether this new system is user-friendly," reads the WalmartLabs survey page. Volunteers were rewarded with $100 cash and a $25 gift card toward their purchase.

Initiatives like "Scan & Go" and other mobile payment solutions could result in massive savings for Walmart. Every second of manual transaction time costs the company roughly $12 million in cashier wages, says Reuters. The venture would obviously also be a major boon for Apple's iPhone, serving as further evidence of the mainstream adoption enjoyed by Apple's handset. When reached for comment, a Walmart spokesman told us, "We are continually testing new and innovative ways to serve customers and enhance the shopping experience. At this point, we don't have anything specific to share on that testing."