German commuters now have access to Europe’s first wall shops, which contain a scanning mechanism for smartphones; travellers can now purchases items on train platforms in towns across Germany as a result of the new technology. The posters show a range of cosmetic products with a black and white QR code; the code can then be scanned with a smartphone to complete a purchase with items delivered to a customer’s home.
Drugstore chain Budnikowsky are the first retailer to use the poster shops; which are available at train stations in Augsburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Würzburg and Ulm. The retailer has stated that it got the idea for the posters from Tesco; its South-Korean outlet Home Plus introduced virtual supermarket aisles in a Seoul train station this summer. Budnikowsky implemented the technology when creating a picture and barcode design to enable customers to buy cosmetics while travelling. “The advantage is that one can find the desired product on the poster and order it directly, without having to first surf through the entire online shop,” said a spokesperson for the retailer. (9 Nov) © 2011 ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
