Supermarket self-checkouts and card machines can contribute to spread of Covid-19

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Supermarket self-checkouts and card machines can contribute to spread of Covid-19.

Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket, discusses the importance of convenience and hygiene amid Coronavirus fears and discusses role of tech in retail.

Touchscreens found at self-checkouts and card payment machines in stores and supermarkets across the country could contribute to the spread of coronavirus, as scientists say the virus can cling to surfaces for several hours on self-service machines, such as those found in supermarket self-checkouts. 
In today's retail landscape, technology can provide the answer for hygiene and convenience concerns currently facing shoppers and businesses alike. Ubamarket is one such example of retail technology, whose mobile app and ‘Scan, Pay, Go!’ technology allows customers to scan products as they shop, be guided around the store with a supermarket sat-nav, and completely bypass the tills and queues by paying for their shopping in-app.

The usage of this app drastically reduces the amount of time spent in-store for customers, but still allows them to effectively purchase all goods and avoid any potentially dangerous contact at the tills, whilst enabling retailers to cater to more customers and better assess the consumer demand for all products. The technology on offer allows for staff to be deployed elsewhere in the store, and with stock levels under scrutiny during this crisis, colleagues can help replenish items and safely help more vulnerable customers.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted a number of areas in which Britain's grocers can improve by making the shopping experience far more hygienic and convenient for customers, not only for the current circumstances, but moving forward. 

Retail tech such as Ubamarket will help supermarkets to do just that, by doing away with the need for time-consuming queues, unhygienic checkouts, complicated store layouts and confusion about where products are and whether they are in stock. What's more, on the retailer side, stores which implement retail tech solutions will be able to access far more in-depth and accurate consumer data, helping them to assess their behaviour, manage stock more efficiently and effectively, whilst being able to effectively communicate directly to the consumer base.