The Salina location is among Sam’s Clubs that are installing technology which will eliminate customers having to show receipts to an associate as they exit with their purchases.
The company announced earlier this year the new tech will deliver new levels of convenience by leveraging a first-of-its-kind application of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision technology to eliminate queuing at the club’s exit area. The move to use digital solutions to drive a better member experience builds on Sam’s Club’s existing technologies, such as Scan & Go, to provide members with a more convenient shopping experience.
The company began running pilots across 10 Sam’s Club locations, and now its being installed in other locations as well, including in Salina. It is anticipated to be fully functional later this spring.
The technology is used to seamlessly confirm members have paid for all items in their shopping carts – without requiring an associate to check members’ purchases before leaving the club. Before this technology, members were slowed by queuing at the club’s exit area to have Sam’s Club exit greeters review receipts. Members continue to say they want a faster and more convenient shopping experience and consistently rated the wait times at the exit – especially during busy periods – as a pain point in the shopping experience.
After a member completes payment at a register or via Scan & Go, a combination of computer vision and digital technology deployed in the exit area of the club captures images of carts and verifies payment for all items within a member’s basket. With AI working in the background to continually speed the process, this digital innovation not only streamlines the member’s exit, but also allows exit greeters to refocus their time and expertise to assisting members and ensuring they have an enjoyable shopping experience.
Sam’s Club is the first retailer to deploy this technology at exit and at scale, a natural extension of how the club uses digital innovation to enhance the shopping experience through Scan & Go. Scan & Go allows members to use the Sam’s Club mobile app to capture purchases on-the-go and bypass the traditional checkout line in the club, as well as at the fuel station and Café.
