UK: Tesco making changes
The technology upgrades will include self-checkout, and expanded online grocery shopping, said Tesco chief information officer Mike McNamara, who added that the chain would shift "hundreds of millions of pounds to digital technology," from the £3.2 billion ($5.19 billion) annual capital investment budget, which is mainly used to build more stores.
"A lot of our growth has been predicated on property expanding geographically," McNamara told CIO Journal in a telephone interview. "We are shifting that investment to digital."
In April, Tesco CEO Philip Clarke vowed “to put the love back” into stores. As part of Clarke’s strategy, the company will invest £1 billion to add staff, improve store appearance and improve its own-label brands.
Tesco plans to expand its "click & collect" service in the U.K., which allows customers to shop online and later pick up items from a nearby supermarket. McNamara says the option makes shopping more appealing for customers by cutting down on time in stores.
McNamara wants to double the supermarkets offering the service, from around 700 to more than 1400 stores, within range of 95% of the country’s population. The company is also testing a mobile phone app which would allow customers to self-scan barcodes on their own devices, and skip long lines.
"It makes the whole experience of shopping more engaging and fun," McNamara said.
Source: blogs.wsj.com
