Tesco virtual store trialled at London Gatwick airport
08 August 2012
You may remember that some time ago we reported on a virtual Tesco's grocery store driven by mobile phones and QR codes, which had been installed in the Korean metro system. Well it seems that the project was successful enough that Tesco has decided to bring the concept back to home shores. A similar idea is currently being trialled by the supermarket group at in the north terminal of London's Gatwick airport.
The original trial used lighboxes with product images printed on them, but the UK version replaces these with interactive kiosks, built from what appear to be 80 or 84” LCD panels. We are currently seeking further information on the technical aspects of the installation.
Under the trial, users interact with giant touch screens using a Tesco mobile App which is available free for both Android and iOS devices. Holiday makers can order groceries from Tesco’s online store to be delivered to their home on their return.
On the big screens themselves, users can scroll through shelves of a virtual fridge and cupboard to reveal 80 products in total - each chosen by Tesco as the most likely to be needed when someone returns home, including milk, bread, etc.
Each product comes with its own barcode, and using the Tesco app, customers can simply scan the one they want which will place it into their online shopping basket automatically.