Corona Pandemic: Gain Social Distancing And Accelerate Shopping With Mobile Self-Checkout

2 min read
March 26, 2020 at 11:54 AM

In the last couple of weeks, the way we live has changed dramatically. Our kids are not in school anymore, most of us are not working in an office but at home and we do our best to limit the contact we have with other people or things that are regularly touched by other people.

These things also affect us at Snabble in the same way it affects you.

Shopping During The COVID-19 Pandemic

The one constant is shopping for groceries. But avoiding contact is really hard in a store of almost any kind. Once you gathered your groceries, you have to unpack them and put them on a belt that has possibly not been cleaned and gets touched by the other shoppers and employees as well. Payment can be tricky, too. Cash can transmit the virus, so can a pin pad for your debit- and credit cards. Contactless payments often cap out at 20 bucks.

That is why we think snabble is even more important in these times. It is the most hygienic and safe way to shop. Here is why:

Less Time At The Checkout Counter

With no unpacking and repacking of groceries, a lot of time is saved. Also, there is no fiddeling with cash or waiting for the payment terminal to process the transaction, since the payment is handled online, right through your personal smartphone. With stores cutting down on their maximum occupancy, a faster checkout means more customers are allowed to shop in every hour.

Less Shared Contact

Even if retailers start with the most basic integration of snabble, without online payment, both shoppers and employees benefit from less touching. As a customer you already scanned your groceries, so there is no need to put them on the belt (risk 1) and have them scanned by an employee (risk 2). With integrated online payment, you don’t even need to touch cash or pin pads (risk 3).

Keeping Everyone Distanced Becomes Easier

Social distancing is not only trending on twitter or is a virtue. Many governments have made it a requirement to space out customers at checkout. This can become a problem with lines stretching out into the general sales floor, very quickly interfering with the experience of other shoppers. For employees, the checkout counter comes with a higher risk for infection. Many stores try to battle this risk with makeshift acrylic plates. snabble enables shoppers to pay on their smartphone, right where they are. So there is no need for acrylic or waiting lines. Keeping everyone distanced means keeping everyone safe.

Make Working At A Store Less Stressful

The current situation with Covid-19 makes the job for employees both physically and mentally challenging. With many items being in high demand, store workers have to try to keep the goods on the shelves. They also have to service potentially stressed customers at the checkout counters. Using snabble can eliminate risks for them. Also, with less people having to service the checkout, there is more time they can dedicate towards other important tasks.

Image source: Anna Shvets from Pexels

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