Saturn has opened Europe’s first checkout-free electronics store in Austria. The former Metro Group chain offers its customers traditional sales assistance, but payments have to happen using an app.
Merger of online and offline
The store in Innsbruck promises to seamlessly blend the advantages of online and offline shopping. Customers will find the usual product range on display and are free to consult with experts on staff, but their actual purchases are made by means of an app, rather than at the check-out.
The app itself was developed in conjunction with British startup MishiPay and can be downloaded on smartphones free of charge. The principle is simple: the app scans the barcode of the items to be purchased and pays for them by credit card or PayPal.
Scan, pay and leave
“Saturn Express fronts a new shopping concept designed to assist consumers in an increasingly digital world,” declares Martin Wild, Chief Innovation Officer of the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group. “Our Scan, Pay and Leave technology brings the best of the online checkout experience to the physical store.”
The new Saturn Express located at the Sillpark shopping centre in Innsbruck is the first of its kind, but by no means the only technological innovation Media Markt Saturn has developed recently to enhance shopping experience for its customers. In November last year, the electronics giant launched what it considers to be the first, fully virtual shopping experience using VR goggles.
