M&S discontinues mobile Scan & Shop service after 16 years

The retail giant's mobile 'Scan & Shop' service (originally named "Mobile Pay Go") was first trialled in October 2018 at six London stores.

Following its initial test phase, the checkout-free technology was rapidly expanded and rolled out to all UK stores by November 2020.

The mobile Scan & Shop service allowed customers to use their phones to scan items and pay through the M&S app.

Shoppers could then skip the checkout queue for purchases under £45, while those spending more could pay at the till by scanning a QR code.

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One shopper on Instagram, describing the mobile M&S service, said: "It’s super easy and convenient.

"Saves lots of time and no need to visit the checkout."

M&S discontinues mobile Scan & Shop service

Now, after around 16 years, the mobile Scan & Shop service has been discontinued by M&S, in "saddening" news for shoppers.

An M&S spokesman, via The Sun, said: "We regularly review our in-store services to ensure we’re delivering the best possible experience for our customers.

"Given low customer take up, we’ve decided to switch off our Scan & Shop mobile app service so we can focus on the services our customers use and value most."

Despite the mobile service being scrapped, the handheld Scan & Shop devices, currently in use at 120 stores across the UK, are here to stay.

The M&S spokesperson continued: "This does not affect our handheld Scan & Shop solution, which is popular with customers, and we will continue to increase the number of stores with scan and shop devices."

Fans react to M&S's decision to scrap mobile Scan & Shop service

M&S's decision to scrap its mobile Scan & Shop service has not gone down well with shoppers, with some critical of the decision and the lack of notice.

One person, posting on Reddit group r/MarksandSpencer, said: "Noooooooo. We don’t have handsets. I loved nipping in and not queuing. Like how they haven’t officially said it’s ending though."

Another added: "Oh no is this true???? I absolutely swear by it when I’m just popping in for a couple things."

This shopper commented: "Boo! I used it yesterday so this is sad to hear."

A fourth M&S customer posted: "Saddening to read this. As a customer I loved it."

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