Retailers are increasingly investing in mobile self-scanning functionality according to research from RBR.
The data found that during the course of 2021, an additional 10,000 stores globally began offering this service, with customers scanning items as they shop either using their own smartphone or a device provided by the retailer.
The UK, France and Netherlands has so far led the industry, however major chains in other nations are also now taking notice, such as the US.
In 2021, US convenience chain 7-Eleven rolled out smartphone self-scanning to almost 3,000 US stores, meanwhile Spanish fuel retailer implemented the system at 600 outlets.
The research from RBR shows that despite retailers developing their own mobile self-scanning software, third party specialists are still dominating the market.
Mishipay leads the sector in the UK, while Re-Vision owns the lion’s share in the Netherlands and Budgetbox’s solution is leading in France amongst grocers.
In the US, many retailers have implemented Skip into its payment processing solutions, while Chinese retailers use payment solutions such as WeChat and Alipay.
The market for self-scanning via retailer-provided devices continues to grow, with US-based Zebra accounting for more than 80% of hardware installations.
While grocery chains in mature markets will continue to expand mobile self-scanning to more stores, the technology is expected to be increasingly deployed in other sectors.
According to RBR, by 2027, the number of stores offering mobile self-scanning globally is set to reach more than 160,000.
“Mobile self-scanning is expected to expand strongly, to a more diverse range of retailers and to new geographies,” RBR’s Alex Maple said.
“Whether it is scanning items using a smartphone or a handheld retailer provided device, reducing friction and enhancing the shopping experience remains a key aim.”
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