Macy’s rolls out a new app and in-store technology features

Department store giant Macy’s (M) is working towards fixing one of the biggest issue customers face while shopping – the complicated checkout process. Macy’s unveiled a new mobile checkout feature that speeds up the transaction process.

In the era where online shopping has become so dominant, the traditional retailers are grappling to survive. Most of the retailers are now embracing new technologies in order to retain customers that have evolved to be an important metric to success. Macy’s has been making significant progress in this arena.

Cincinnati-based Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has major plans for the company that is making rapid progress in technology. One such innovation the company introduced is the Mobile Checkout feature that allows customers to scan the products they want to buy using their smartphones, pay for the items, and head straight to the special counter to only remove the shopping tags.

The feature called the ‘Scan.Pay.Go’ will be available via the mobile app. The retailer plans to add this feature to all Macy’s stores by the end of 2018. The app will be available for both Android and iOS devices. The customers need to connect to Macy’s free Wi-Fi network while using the feature.

The Mobile checkout facility is apparently just one of the new innovations Macy’s is introducing. To boost the shopping experiences, the company is also adding augmented reality for furniture shopping experience to its app. The augmented furniture feature that will be available at 60 locations, allows the shoppers to move furniture products in a virtual room.

In 2017, the retailer reported a 2.2% drop in its same-store sales

These in-store tech upgrades should help Macy’s return to same-store sales growth this year. In 2017, the retailer reported a 2.2% drop in its same-store sales. And this year, the company expects its same-store sales to be flat to up 1%.

Other initiatives taken by Macy’s include the closure of non-profitable stores (11 stores closed in early 2018), cutting down promotional and marketing activity, opening more shops under Macy’s Backstage – the company’s discount banner.