How the coronavirus pandemic helped convince grocery chains to experiment with new tech

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Grocery chain Giant Eagle turned one of its stores into a checkout-less shopping experience. A handful of Price Chopper stores in Missouri are offering shoppers access to an app that can scan items and tally up their order, allowing them to skip the checkout line. Wegmans piloted a self-checkout app at three stores prior to the pandemic, but rolled it out to 80 of its 103 stores this spring, as customers sought out contactless shopping.
The rapid shift to online grocery ordering during the pandemic has ushered in the next phase of grocery shopping. But grocers are investing in technology meant for stores, too. They’re launching innovative technology inside brick-and-mortar locations, where the bulk of consumers still shop. Even Walmart‘s new membership program, Walmart+, will offer access to a tech-based perk: a smartphone app that lets customers skip the line …continued .
[Source: CNBC News]