Spar International has opened its first cashless supermarket at the Hogeschool Utrecht University campus in the Netherlands this week.

Called ‘Skippen’, or Skipping in English, the new concept enables students who download the accompanying app to purchase goods in-store without having to queue for a cash register. Shoppers simply scan items into their shopping cart via a QR code, before completing the payment with Tikkie – ABN AMRO’s online payment solution.

Spar stated that the new system will provide it with more relevant and personal data about their customers’ spending habits, enabling them to offer more personalised deals. The app also provides customers with information on allergens or the number of calories that are in each product.

Developed by Social Brothers, the app has already been downloaded 25,000 times. The software was achieved through APIs, which linked point of sale software from Countr, customer experiences from Mood Media, and payments from ABN AMRO to create the final product.

“Skippen is a shop-driven concept and comes from the desire to make customers even happier,” said Kyra van Elswijk, smart clients manager at Spar. “The power of Skippen is mainly in the customer’s trust, something that has always been an important part of the formula thanks to the self-checkout cash registers.”

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