Morrisons stores without any staff could soon be coming to Scotland under new radical plans being trialled by the supermarket giant.
The firm is in the process of testing out a largely unstaffed version of stores outside of its headquarters in Bradford.
Customers will be able to pick up items and pop them inside their bags without the need to scan them at tills under the plans.
Everyone using the service must download an app on their smartphone, which must be scanned before entry into the store.
Cameras will then track where shoppers are in the store and which items they place in their bags.
Payment for the items is then sorted through the phone app.
The Bradford store is currently not open to the public, but the Daily Mail reports that the firm hopes to have its first pilot store available “within months”.
It is hoped that the supermarket giant will be able to compete against online giants Amazon, who earlier this year opened their first UK ‘Amazon Fresh’ store - which operates on a similar model to Morrisons.
The plans come after a study found that almost half of Brits (43%) want a more contactless shopping experience beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
Ubamarket found that 62% of people wanted to complete their shopping in under 20 minutes with 34% of shoppers stating that self-service tills give them anxiety over cleanliness.
Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket stated: "The research clearly shows that the Coronavirus pandemic has completely transformed both retailer and consumer behaviour- in particular when it comes to purchasing their goods.
"The pandemic has raised huge questions around hygiene and safety, with particular concerns around consumer confidence.
"This fluctuation in shopping habits has further highlighted a number of pre-existing problems with the shopping experience in Britain, with a huge proportion of Brits now feeling that their shopping experience is outdated."
He continued: "Paying for your shopping in-app will drastically reduce your exposure to potentially dangerous interactions as there is no need to stand in queues or use the tills.
"Ultimately, if retailers are willing to implement retail technology, we could make the weekly shop far more safe and hygienic for everybody in the UK."
