CNN: Wegmans ending self-checkout due to increase in shoplifting
In 2019, Wegmans, the cult-favorite northeastern grocery chain, rolled out a new mobile app that allowed customers to scan, bag and pay for groceries while they shopped and then skip the checkout line altogether.
The app, Wegmans SCAN, promised customers a quicker checkout and also let them see a running total of their purchases as they shopped.
This week, the grocer announced that it is ending the app because of rampant shoplifting.
“Unfortunately, the losses we are experiencing prevent us from continuing to make it available in its current state,” the company said in a statement. “We’ve made the decision to turn off the app until we can make improvements that will meet the needs of our customers and business.”
Wegmans did not provide any details on the losses experienced with the app.
The chain debuted its “scan-and-go” app as Amazon (AMZN) was beginning to ramp up its cashier-less Amazon(AMZN) Go stores. Many other traditional retailers also rushed to keep pace with Amazon (AMZN) and introduced their own scan-and-go style apps. Wegmans called it the “right technology” at the “right time.”
Image: MacRumors.com[/caption]
