How Countdown Supermarkets has responded to COVID-19 in New Zealand

Ardern’s empathic leadership style has trickled down to large corporations as they enforce innovative technologies and new procedures to protect Kiwis against the virus and begin safe transition back to a “normal” life. At the forefront of this change is Countdown Supermarkets, New Zealand's largest supermarket chain, operating over 180 stores and serving about 3 million customers every week.

Countdown are committed to providing Kiwis with choice, value, and convenience to create the most convenient shopping experience. Countdown are proud to be at the cutting edge of retail innovation and constantly improving customer experience. In response to the pandemic, Countdown has implemented Scan and Go, the new contactless shopping service where customers can scan items with their phones as they shop.

Scan and Go makes the shopping experience simple, you can walk into the store and then scan, bag, and pay for your items all from your phone. It's easy to use and a completely seamless and contactless experience.

Customers are increasingly demanding a seamless experience in stores and removing points of friction from the sales process enables more and faster transactions. Scan and Go technology enables the shopper to shop at their own pace without the need to wait in line, avoiding touchpoints or interactions with staff.

To minimise touchpoints even further, Countdown has integrated the Tiliter AI Scale into the Scan and Go mobile application. The smart scale uses the powerful Tiliter computer software to automatically identify objects without barcodes. The screen presents a barcode for shoppers to scan with their mobile app. The barcode encodes the items' product number, weight, and quantity and in most cases removes the need for touching the screen.

Acting Managing Director for Countdown, Sally Copland, says customers are looking for innovation to help make shopping easier, faster and at the moment, contactless.

While many people might still see tech like AI in the realm of science fiction, the scales are a great example of how technology can improve our everyday lives and save us time. - Sally Copland, Countdown 2020

Countdown has plans to roll out the technology across stores nationwide which will make grocery shopping contactless and even more convenient for the greater population.

Want to know how Tiliter’s cutting edge supermarket tech can help you transform the shopping experience? Take a look at our retail tech solutions here.

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