Casino Group invents a new way to shop with innovative technology

Installation of the first order wall with image recognition and NFC in Lyon

Casino became the first retailer in the world to offer consumers these new technologies and services in September 2012

From 23 to 27 October 2012, the Casino Group will be offering Lyon residents a new, fun way to shop on-the-go. Using their smartphone and the mCasino app, they will be able to do their shopping quickly and then either have it delivered or pick it up at Casino Shopping stores in Lyon.
five panels set up on the forecourt of Part Dieu railway station and a 20 metre-long poster in Part Dieu metro station will feature 200 food products that can be used in five everyday meal scenarios: family dinner, romantic dinner, girls’ night-in, drinks with friends and dinner abroad.
In addition to its recent initiatives in this area, Casino is offering users access to a world first with an innovative purchasing solution based on image recognition and NFC contactless payment, two technologies that enable customers to use their smartphones to select a product in a matter of seconds.

Casino is also innovating in the field of customer services by providing:
access to meal suggestions organised by theme and with product prices prominently displayed, making it easier to plan the evening meal and get detailed product information (ingredients, composition, nutrition, etc.);
the option to pay on pick-up or at home when the shopping is delivered.

This world first is part of the Casino Group’s multichannel approach and dovetails perfectly with its innovation programme (using the mCasino app, customers can, for example, start to fill their shopping basket at home, continue while they are out-and-about and then finish their shopping in-store).

As the Group had already announced on 10 September, for the past few days some Casino customers with NFC mobiles have been able to enjoy the unique experience of doing their shopping at the first full NFC supermarket in the Belles Feuilles shopping centre in Paris (16th arrondissement). Today, Lyon residents are invited to test the app on order walls that have been set up in high-traffic areas.

The Casino Group thus continues to roll out its programme of trialling today the shopping solutions of tomorrow. “Our lifestyles and our relationship with time are changing. We need to go out to meet our customers rather than expecting them to come to us. We want to be their partner as they manage their everyday needs”, explains Thierry Aouizerate, Marketing Director of Casino France.

A simple, educational way to try out shopping on-the-go in Lyon

For one week, customers will be able to use the mCasino app to discover a new way to shop. Once they have downloaded the app, they can use their smartphones to do the shopping at any time themselves, or they can ask for help from one of the assistants available on the station forecourt and in the metro. Using tablet computers connected to the internet and NFC smartphones, they will help customers to discover and learn about these technologies, which aim to make shopping a more relaxing, enjoyable and time-saving experience.

Three technologies for selecting and ordering products

In order to make the service accessible to as many people as possible, the mCasino app not only allows products to be selected via the QR code, but also via NFC tags and image recognition.

Products arranged by theme

Five themes have been chosen to answer the question, “What are you doing tonight?” The product range includes both Casino and national brand products. Each theme highlights a “meal solution” and a varied assortment of products to cook or that are ready to use.

Source: http://www.internationalsupermarketnews.com/?p=7858