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Costco is testing out new technology in an effort to speed up the checkout process, an area customers rank as their top concern, CEO Ron Vachris revealed during the company's third-quarter earnings call via FOX Business.
Vachris said the company has "engaged in some 'Scan & Go done by Costco' kind of tests" and claimed the new technology has "been extremely successful in moving people through the lines and expediting the transactions."
Costco fans have long expressed interest in the company bringing scan-and-go, an option offered by its competitor Sam's Club, to its stores on social media. All stores currently have traditional checkout lanes with registers while a select few have self-checkout, according to Costco's website.
The 'Scan & Go' option at Sam's Club allows members to scan items as they shop and pay for them through an app with a worker scanning the digital receipt at the door, while new technology using an AI scanner will allow employees to verify good as customers leave. Another competitor, BJ's Wholesale, offers ExpressPay, which enables members to “skip the line and scan items through the BJ’s App as they shop to make checkout even faster" using the "ExpressPay" app and showing their QR code receipt at the door, according to its official website.