Scan and Go: The Future of Grocery Shopping

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Discover the pros and cons of Walmart Scan and Go. Is this new technology making grocery shopping easier or more complicated?

Knock, Knock…Who’s there? Walmart Scan and Go, that’s who!

It’s not new technology either; it’s just new to Canada.

Learning How To Scan And Go

Like some of you reading this, I’m starting to wonder if grocery stores are complicating the shopping experience by adding so many ways to shop and check out.

• How hard can it be, and why aren’t we making time to go grocery shopping?
• Should using the self-checkout or scan-and-go self-scanners qualify shoppers for a discount since they are taking on the work of the cashier?

Some would say yes, and others no. Your payment is convenient even though it may not always be that convenient.

Do you remember when Tim Hortons only sold donuts and coffee or did McDonald’s sell breakfast, burgers, and fries?

If not, you’re probably far younger than I am, but back then, convenience was simple. Not anymore.

When Tim Horton’s started to add sandwiches, bagels, soups, chili, and now breakfast and potato wedges, it was overwhelming for most.

Why complicate such a simple idea?

Money and keeping up with the markets. It’s as simple as that.

Grocery Shopping Used To Be Simple

Some of you might cringe at how technology has taken over one of the simplest chores and, for many, a break from daily stress.

Food is love, and for parents, an escape from the chaos of parenting is always welcomed.

This is how grocery shopping in Canada was in Mrs. CBB’s family in the 70’s and 80’s.

Parents would park the car, the family would get out and find a shopping cart, and then they went into the store.

The family wanders around the perimeter and up and down the aisles, finding products on the hand-written grocery list.

The cashier was where customers would go when they finished grocery shopping.

Everyone liked to help put products on the grocery belt and her parents would chat to the cashier.

No self-scanners were using the UPCs back then.

Everything was based on numbers and weight, so it was more time-consuming than it is today.

If you had a great cashier, they could ring you up faster than you could brush your teeth and floss.

So, it takes a few minutes to place a large order.

The cashier or grocery clerk would bag groceries, and the customer would take on this task as the years went on.

For those shoppers who didn’t want to pack groceries into their car or could not, some grocery stores in Canada would offer a drive-up window.

You would go grocery shopping, and your products would be placed in a bin and then wheeled on the conveyor out the window for customer pick-up.

However, this was a short-lived service but convenient during the winter months.

Before leaving the store, the cashier would hand you numbers for each bin, which you would present to the grocery clerk outside.

They would pack the groceries in your car, and away you’d go.

That was the big convenience in the ’70s and ’80s, but it is now long gone and replaced by technology and other customer service initiatives mainly to save time.

Walmart Scan And Go

New technology has finally made its debut in Canada again, this time at Walmart, but it is old news back where I’m from in the UK.

We seem to be the UK market, or we’re just simply ahead of the times when it comes to customer service-based initiatives.

I suppose these options are ideal when you have such a large population in a small country.

We are driving ourselves into a world of convenience only because of competition and nothing more.

Ultimately, I believe it’s about the money and keeping customers away from the competition no matter what anyone says.

When one business starts something, they all have to jump on board because businesses rely on keeping up with customer demand.

Everyone wants it done faster and faster, and no one has time for anything.

With Scan and Go becoming the hot new trend, many Walmart stores across Canada are ready to embrace this new convenience as it rolls out this week.

Homemade vs Grocery Shopping Convenience

Consider for a moment how much these grocery shopping conveniences are comparable to cooking a homemade meal, microwave dinner, food delivery or eating out, or a dinner party invitation.

Scan and Go…..Microwave dinner.

Just pop it in the oven, punch in the time to cook, and then eat.

Cashier…homemade meals are when you like to take your time to cook and don’t mind waiting for results.

Self-Checkout…fast food means you’re still in a rush but avoid the eat-in restaurant experience, including talking to servers.

Click and Collect…eating at someone else’s house means all you have to do is show up.

This is why clicking and collecting at the grocery stores is convenient for those shoppers who want nothing more than to have the work done for them.

Home Delivery…you want nothing to do with the grocery store so you skip the entire shopping experience.

You may cook at home, or hire a chef or someone else to do the cooking for you.

Cashier In Or Out

Out of all the ways we can grocery shop in Canada, the only one that requires you to have royal treatment is the traditional cashier.

Our family has two cousins who have worked as cashiers at the grocery store since they were legally allowed to work in Canada.

Both are now in their mid-50’s.

Just recently, they have started wondering about the future of their role as cashiers with the amount of technology taking over the industry.

There’s no doubt stores are moving increasingly toward automation.

By the end of 2016 there were 255,000 self-checkout machines in stores around the world.

That number is expected to reach more than 400,000 by 2022

Will the new Scan and Go in Canada eliminate the need for cashiers?

I don’t think we will see the demise of the grocery store cashier, at least not yet, but I’m betting on a decline at some point.

Grocery chains don’t invest big bucks in technology just for the sake of it.

There has to be something in it for them, which usually means money first and trimming excess from the profits. Time will tell.

Scan And Go UK

While visiting the U.K. in the summer, we did lots of grocery shopping at ASDA, which is Walmart.

Mrs. CBB was in the UK with technology and felt overwhelmed.

There were still happy cashiers on staff working when we went, but things may be different in Canada, depending on their demands.

If grocery shoppers stop using the cashier, you can bet the company won’t keep paying them to wait for the next customer who wants human interaction at the check-out.

Scan and Go lets customers track their spending throughout their shop.

The handy scanner shows a running total – including all rollbacks and offers.

Research shows that customers using Scan and Go take half the time to check out, and there are fewer queues as customers use a dedicated payment zone.

Scan And Go Technology

There was no Scan and Go when I left the UK over 10 years ago, so it was new.

I wanted to learn about it because I knew it wouldn’t be long before it showed its face in Canada.

Sure enough, the time is now. Self-checkout is supposedly one of the fastest ways to get in and out of the grocery store, but now, Scan and Go may be competing for the top spot.

The first thing you see when you walk into ASDA is the Scan and Go scanners, which we had to stand, stare at, and read about before entering the store.

Our first reaction was a big no. I’m not doing the work for the cashier.

Think about tipping your server at a restaurant instead of the owner paying a fair wage to the employee.

Unfortunately, this is a long-winded topic that customers will never understand.

It’s your business, we’re customers, and you do the work.

If prices aren’t going down, why am I doing what you pay employees to do?

What is my benefit? In most cases, it’s just time for the customer and profits for the retailer.

In the U.S., Walmart has those who own a smartphone use an app that allows them to use their phone to ring out products as they shop.

I’ve never owned a smartphone, so I’d likely be rubbish at this, and besides, I don’t want to become a distracted shopper.

I’m a deal seeker, and this makes it challenging.

Older People And Technology

My mum and dad want nothing to do with these grocery shopping conveniences and prefer to take their time and look around the grocery store.

They both still work part-time and have things to do, but they make time for grocery shopping.

Even when we kids were small, grocery shopping was somewhat of a family affair.

Not anymore. It’s about rushing in and out.

Who has time to read product labels and look at prices and deals when grocery stores give us the power to shop fast and get out?

My mother-in-law retired years ago and loved going to the grocery store.

This is part of her weekly routine, and everyone knows who she is mainly because she’s a chatty Cathy who enjoys conversation.

Not everyone is like her; grocery shopping technology now caters to customer convenience.

It almost becomes overwhelming for those who want to shop the traditional way.

How Does Scan And Go Work?

This is a video of the Tesco Scan as You Shop program to give you insight into the service offered in the UK.

It may differ slightly in Canada, but for the most part, I think this is what it is all about.

The only thing I’m unsure about is how to use coupons with Scan and Go and apply the Scanning Code of Practice.

I’ll update the post as this new technology unveils more to customers.

It’s simple, but after watching the video above, I was overwhelmed by the extra work involved.

I’m always busy figuring out numbers for deals and finding deals, so I don’t know how I’d like this service.

Obtaining A Scanner

When you enter the grocery store, you get your scanner and mess around with it until you understand how to use it (it gets easier the more you play with it).

You must be registered to activate the scanner using your phone number.

You do your grocery shopping per usual, but you become the cashier in this case.

All this service entails is backward self-scanning checkout.

Do it as you shop instead of scanning everything when you are done shopping.

You may chop time waiting at the self-scanners, but it will probably not get you that far ahead if there are no line-ups.

Even so, you might hold on to that technology and feel like you own the grocery experience.

• Scan the bar code and bag for each product in your shopping cart.
• Use the weight scales provided for those products that need to be weighed.
• See the product information and price on the screen as you scan.

This convenience also allows you to see a running total of your grocery shop, which is great for those following a tight grocery budget.

Related: How much should my grocery budget be?

Paying For Your Order

When you’re done shopping, you go to the Scan and Go zone to pay for your shop. 

On your way out, you meet the Scan and Go greeter, similar to that of Costco employees who check your receipt upon exit.

The Scan and Go greeter will review your products and do random scan checks to make sure no theft or errors happen.

This could be a time waster depending on how many people use the Scan and Go system and check out simultaneously.

For those of you wondering about people stealing from the grocery store, it happens.

Yes, this is another way for grocery store theft to happen.

Earlier this year, a mum and daughter got caught scanning UK-priced items but putting more expensive products in their shopping cart.

Remember, cameras are everywhere, and getting arrested for something like this is not worth it.

Related: How thieves steal using the self-checkout at the grocery store

Is Scan And Go Worth The Hype?

It depends on how in control of the grocery shopping experience you want to have and how important it is to you.

We prefer the cashier and occasionally use a self-checkout like a drive-thru to grab a cup of coffee or a muffin.

Related: Would you tell on a customer stealing at the grocery store?

Pay Someone Else To Grocery Shop

For those who can’t make it to the grocery store, hiring a personal shopper might be part of their customer convenience.

There is no need to step foot in a grocery store if you have the money stolen to pay someone else to do the work.

• Home Delivery
• Personal Shopper

Future Grocery Shopping

Will the Scan and Go convenience be a painless shopping experience?

Well, it all depends on the customer, the value of grocery shopping, and their time.

It may not save any time for some, but for others, it’s the fastest way for them to grocery shop.

With every new technology, there is another magical way to do something waiting in the background.

I wonder what grocery stores will be brewing up next?

Discussion: Will you try the new Scan and Go shopping experience at Walmart Canada?

Please leave your comments below.

Mr.CBB

October Grocery Game Challenge

Join in the 2017 Grocery Game Challenge (GGC) fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each GGC blog post.

Here aG.G.C.The Grocery Game Challenge rules to get you started, and where you’ll also find a link for the 2017 GGC schedule.

Please feel free to download, save, and even print the schedule.

Post your shop, and you can be next.

New monthly prize: See the Grocery Game Rules

• The Ultimate Guide For Buying Real Food
• 12 Inexpensive Childhood Recipes
• Easy Meal Prep Ideas For Easy Healthy Cooking

2017 Grocery Shop Results

Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2017: $3180 or $265/month (The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)

• Total Grocery Budget for this Month: $265
• Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $265
• Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
• Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
• Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
• PC Points Plus Earned P.C. date: 646,000
• Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
• Shoppers Optimum: 983,000 O.M.G

Coupon Apps

• Checkout51 to cash out: $24.50 we cashed out, so we’re back at $0.

Our Grocery Shop This Week

Food Basics

• 2 4L milk $4.27 each
• 2 x large eggs $1.97 each

Total Out-of-pocket $12.48

Final Numbers

Note: All totals below have already been tax factored into them.

• Total to spend this month: $265
• Stockpile budget 2016: $25.00/month
• Stockpile budget used this month: $20.93
• Total coupons used this week: $0
• Total coupons used to date: $1
• Total in-store discounts this week: $0
• Total in-store discounts to date: $699.44
• Total spent this week: $12.48
• Total spent so far this month: $226.58
• Total over/Under spend this shop: under
• Total over/Under spend for the month: n/a
• Total left to spend for the month: $38.42
• Total Spent To Date 2017: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $231.06+Feb $255.16+March ($5 budget increase) $263.60 + April $273.83+ May $257.15 + June $65.43+July $226.84+August $283.51+September $208.69+ October $226.58

Weekly Overview

We have been cleaning out the refrigerator this week, and it’s looking a bit empty, but we have more than enough food to get us by until the start of November.

If you’ve just joined The Grocery Game Challenge 2017, get ready to look at your grocery budget by learning;

• Where are you spending money?
• How much money are you spending?
• How much money are you saving every month?

If you know a topic that should be discussed, please email me.

Welcome to The Grocery Game Challenge 2017!

-Mr.CBB

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