Tops brings Shop + Scan to more stores

Tops Friendly Markets has expanded Tops Shop Scan mobile checkout functionality to 24 stores.

Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops reported just before the Memorial Day weekend that Shop Scan launched at another five New York stores — Dunkirk (3955 Vineyard Dr.), Cheektowaga (3865 Union Rd.), Williamsville (5274 Main St.), Hamburg (4250 McKinley Pkwy.) and Ithaca (2300 N. Triphammer Rd.) — adding to the 19 New York locations already offering the service.

Available via a free download (in iOS and Android versions) the Tops Shop Scan app enables customers to scan products themselves with their smartphones, keep a running tally of their purchases and pay by a simple barcode scan at checkout.

After opening the app, shoppers scan their Tops BonusPlus customer loyalty card to get started. Next, they begin shopping by scanning barcodes on products, and items are automatically added to their list of purchases. For fresh produce, customers put items on the scale, enter the price lookup (PLU) number, print the label and then scan the barcode on the sticker. Loose bakery items have barcode tags on the self-serve cases that can be scanned by Shop Scan users. While shopping, customers also can delete items on their scanned list. BonusPlus and other savings and rewards are applied automatically. Shoppers complete their transaction by scanning a barcode on the touchscreen at a self-checkout station, along with any printed coupons, or by having their code scanned at a manned checkout lane. Alcohol purchases will require identification at checkout.

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“We are excited to continue the expansion of this innovative new technology and provide it to even more customers throughout our service area,” Jill Sirica, manager of digital marketing at Tops, said in a statement. “It’s so easy to use. All you need to do is download the Tops Shop Scan app, connect to our free in-store Wi-Fi, enter your Tops BonusPlus card number and you are ready to shop. Our hope is to continue the momentum and add additional locations in the near future.”

During the past year, Tops has rolled out Shop Scan to 14 locations. Other communities with Tops stores offering Shop Scan include Arcade, Alden, Medina, Baldwinsville, Amherst, Lockport, Rhinebeck, New Paltz, West Seneca, Depew, Derby, East Amherst, Orchard Park, East Aurora, Grand Island and Buffalo/Kenmore, N.Y.

Overall, Tops operates 150 supermarkets in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, including five run by franchisees. The chain is part of Northeast Grocery Inc. (NGI), a new company formed late last year through the retailer’s merger with Schenectady, N.Y.-based Price Chopper/Market 32.

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