Sainsbury’s digital mobile scanning technology will be available in the majority of its stores by the end of the year.

The supermarket chain is expanding the roll-out of its SmartShop system after usage rose sharply. Available via an app or handheld devices, it accounted for 37 per cent of sales over the last quarter.

By Christmas, Sainsbury’s plans to have the system in most of its 770 UK stores, up from the 250 local branches currently supporting the technology.

In 2019, the company experimented with its first ever cashierless store, in which SmartShop was the only payment method available. However, the trial was scrapped after three months due to negative feedback from customers who weren’t ready for “totally till-free” shopping.

However, it appears COVID has changed shoppers attitudes towards the technology, which enables them to limit physical interaction with shop staff and payment terminals.

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