(Business Model) No Wait Shopping
Pay-as-you go system that makes shopping easier for everyone
Who will use it?
This idea is particularly applicable to grocery stores and marketplaces where one company coordinates the sale of a wide, deep product mix of shopping-type items. Examples would be Walmart, Target, H-E-B, etc. The end-users would be customers of these stores.
Description
The idea behind No Wait Shopping is that customers are given a device which they can use to scan products as they shop. Customers can purchase these products as they go, or use the device to look up prices and sales. Customers can wait until they are finished gathering their products, and run their credit cards or have the purchases charged to a store account. For the customer, this saves the time they would spend waiting in line, and also gives them a tool that helps them track their purchases. For the company, this eliminates a lot of line-traffic and reduces labor costs. It may also cause customers to make better use of product deals and coupons, giving the company a stronger hand in what customers buy.
Needs (Drivers)
This innovation was motivated by customer's dissatisfaction with long lines. In the modern age of computing and electronics, the technology exists to eliminate this issue. The bigger problem is that consumers know this, because these stores are selling it! This functionality is nearly inevitable, and the first company or companies to jump on this idea will probably increase the value and be branded as innovators.
Resources (ingredients)
For full-scale implementation, the scanners would need to be mass-produced. This would require a down payment for research and development, then a substantial investment for production and distribution. Stores will need to be trained about how to distribute the devices to the customers and error troubleshooting. There will also need to be an information network throughout the store for the devices to connect to. The security design of this system will be especially critical, because many customers will be wary of submitting their payment information indirectly.
Precedents (points of departure)
IntelliScanner
Though IntelliScanner is small and portable, it does not have the communication hardware to process credit card information.
"Portable Barcode Scanner"
As mentioned in this article, Stop&Shop Supermarket Company has a scanning tool that allows customers to track how much they're spending.
Cell Phone Apps
Walmart, along with other companies, have a smart-phone application that can be used in-store to scan and check out items. Walmart's particular implementation, Scan and Go enables users to save some time by scanning their items, but does not allow checkout from the phone. Users will still spend time in line, and users without smartphones will not experience benefit.
Interesting scanner application / Proof of concept
The Most cost effective portable barcode scanner Use MS30 mobile barcode scanner in sales,retail,supermarket,grocery&chainstore
PWC analysis
There are several patents (example) with similar ideas. We could not find a patent that encapsulated all ideas, though.