Sam's Club's next is a next-gen Scan-and-Go tech, patent revealed

Walmart’s Sam’s Club retail division in Dallas has filed a patent on advancements that it describes as the "next-level" Scan-and-Go technology for its Sam’s Club Now app. Walmart also used the Dallas store – since it was opened last fall –to test augmented reality, wayfinding and navigation, as well as one-hour Club Pickup.

Currently, customers utilize the Scan & Go feature of the Now app to scan barcodes on merchandise as they shop. After shopping, customers pay through the app and have their phones scanned as they leave the store. However, with the new tech, customers will no longer have to struggle to locate the barcode for scanning the products.

The new technology, with the help of computer vision and machine learning, will leverage the camera in the app to identify products with a simple hover and add it to the member’s shopping list. It is also proven that this technology greatly reduces the time needed to add a product – from 9.3 seconds to 3.4 seconds.

“Since launching our Scan & Go two years ago, we’ve seen its popularity continue to increase,” said Eddie Garcia, VP of product and member experience. “With the upcoming test, we’ll enhance the experience with the launch of a technology using computer vision and machine learning.”

Sam’s Club in Dallas will soon allow its members to test the new mobile-first shopping experience beginning this spring. As a next step for the app, Sam’s Club plans to make it manage member shopping lists by using AI and machine learning.