Walmart has ended U.S. testing of a service that allows customers to skip the checkout line and pay for products on their smartphones or through a hand-held device provided by the retail giant.
The Bentonville, Ark-based company was piloting the so-called “Scan & Go” service in more than 100 locations across the U.S.
“This test is the latest example of Walmart’s commitment to provide services that will give our customers a more convenient shopping experience,” a spokesperson said. “We will continue to use what we’ve learned to improve the service for the future.”
The company is considering whether to expand the service in Canada after a 2017 test, according to the spokesperson.
The move comes as the retail giant bolsters its e-commerce offerings to compete with industry leader Amazon, which itself is trying to expand into more brick-and-mortar locations. Walmart announced earlier this month it had purchased a majority stake in Flipkart, India’s top e-commerce site. When announcing that acquisition, Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon said it would not affect U.S. operations.
“The plans that we have in place reflect ongoing investment in the United States, and it’s not our intention to let the business suffer as a result of investments made elsewhere,” he told investors.
McMillon recently touted the “Scan & Go” technology to investors as a way the company is making the checkout experience easier.
