There are never any queues here. Customers just enter and exit with a QR code.
The concept is not new, but it is still rare in our country. In August, Pingo Doce opened a store where there are no queues. The space is in the Instituto Superior Técnico, near Almada.
The aim is not to replace traditional stores, but to “test new technologies and products”, André Ribeiro de Faria, chief marketing and consumer ffficer at Jerónimo Martins, told NiT.
To enter the store, you need to download the Pingo Doce & Go app, which is available for iOS and Android systems. As soon as you open the app, you’ll be asked for your cell phone number, from which you’ll receive a four-digit verification code that allows you to proceed. After completing this step, a QR code will be generated which must be used to open the doors.
The supermarket has many of the products that students (and others) are looking for. There is fruit, vegetables and, of course, food that is easily prepared and eaten, such as pizzas, wraps or salads. There is also the usual pastry and bakery service. Customers scan the products themselves at the automatic tills. At the end, all they have to do is scan the QR code again and they can leave.
In addition to this supermarket area, Pingo Doce & Go do Técnico has a restaurant that is also automatic – and paid for with a bank card. The menu includes simple and traditional dishes that change every day. This spot has 180 seats, 82 of which are on the terrace.
