The 3 benefits of the new “Tap To Go” Ahold no-checkout supermarket

Since Amazon has launched its no-checkout Amazon Go store (see our article here), other retailers are keen on experimenting the same type of innovation. Ahold Delhaize is currently testing its “tap to go” system in a “Albert Heijn To Go” store of Zaandem where the headquarters of the group are located.
Clients need to enroll first in the program and will receive an “instant payment” card equipped with NFC technology. That card is directly linked to the customer’s bank account and allows for immediate purchase of an article by placing the card need the product’s tag on the shelf. The customer has 10 minutes to get the product back on the shelf and to get reimbursed if he/she changes mind. After that 10-minute time period, the purchase is final.

Discover the 3 main advantages of this system.

To learn more about the future trends in the retail sector, read this through analysis we started in 2018 and that we updated in March 2020.

Advantage 1 : Tap To Go is better for impulsive purchase behaviors

The no-checkout systems should be a great enabler of impulsive purchase behaviors. Customers will be less able to resist in-store temptations as the retailer will make it more difficult to change mind.

Advantage 2 : the advantages of eliminating the check out phase

Eliminating the check out phase presents several advantages :

• the first and most obvious advantage is that less personnel will be needed to do the check out. That personel can be used to do other tasks with higher added value
• space taken by check out counters can be freed up
• other redundant systems (like self-scanners and self checkout counters) can be eliminated

Advantage 3 : Tap To Go will give access to more granular data on purchase behaviors

Purchase behaviors are currently captured (and associated to a customer) through the loyalty card. Whereas items purchased will be available in the exact same way, the “tap to go” card will add one essential piece of information : time.
You may have never realized it but the time dimension, the sequence in which you bought your stuffs is not known of the retailer. It’s however highly interesting.
Knowing your path inside the store may indeed enable a retailer to put on your way items you may be interested in. Consumers only know a very tiny perrcentage of a supermarket selection. Those unknown products represent an amazing untapped growth territory.

By Pierre-Nicolas Schwab Pierre-Nicolas est Docteur en Marketing et dirige l'agence d'études de marché IntoTheMinds. Ses domaines de prédilection sont le BigData l'e-commerce, le commerce de proximité, l'HoReCa et la logistique. Il est également chercheur en marketing à l'Université Libre de Bruxelles et sert de coach et formateur à plusieurs organisations et institutions publiques. Il peut être contacté par email, Linkedin ou par téléphone (+32 486 42 79 42)