If you're planning to shop on Black Friday, you may want to check out a cashierless store. Sam's Club, a digital-led warehouse membership group, partnered with Allyson Felix and Usain Bolt, to promote its updated proprietary technology "Scan and Go."
Scan and Go lets shoppers keep track of items they want to purchase and skip the checkout line at Sam's Club, a division of Walmart ($WMT). Cashierless stores were popularized by Amazon Go stores, but the tech company isn't the only player.
"One thing we know in retail is that people want to do two things: they want to save time and they want to save money," Tony Rogers, senior vice president for Sam's Club, told Cheddar.
"In general, what we're trying to do is eliminate friction," he said, touting the speed of the experience. "We wanted to talk about it, and we thought … who exemplifies speed better than Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix?"
The store began using scanning technology a few years ago, but has been updating the software, including adding the ability to scan the entire item instead of just the barcode, which could potentially save more than five seconds on each item.
Sam's Club opened its first cashierless store in Dallas last year.
Rogers said the company is focused on implementing and continuing to update its scanning technology, and that the company may be interested in licensing its technology in the future.
"Inside the company, there's a real tech vibe," he said.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
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