Toy retailer PicWicToys, which took over the French stores of Toys ’R’ Us last year, has introduced a mobile self-checkout solution designed to ease the strain of shopping with children, by letting customers avoid waiting in a queue to check out and pay for their purchases.

The new ‘Scan, Pay, Play’ system is rolling out first at PicWicToys’ stores in Lomme, Caen-Mondeville, Villeneuve D’Ascq, St Maximin (Creil) and Le Havre.

It lets shoppers scan items with their smartphone as they shop and then self-checkout using mobile payment, “leaving them free to exit the store with their purchases, without any need to queue or wait at a conventional checkout”.

“For customers shopping with children, waiting in long queues can be even more frustrating, and eliminating the need for queuing has been one of the key factors that has driven customers to buy toys online over the last decade,” says technology supplier MishiPay.

“We want to eliminate all friction from the experience of shopping at PicWicToys,” Mathieu Charent, the retailer’s team leader for transformation and innovation, explains.

“In today’s digital world, customers have come to expect a shopping experience that is smooth and enjoyable.

“Working with MishiPay we have now created a magical customer experience that combines the convenience of online shopping with the excitement of exploring our wonderful toy stores.”

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