First City In The Nation To Launch A Line-Free Grocery Store With California Fresh Market App

New grocery store California Fresh Market opened Nov. 9 in San Luis Obispo, Calif., replacing the old Albertsons/Haggen store on 767 Foothill Bvld. The store features a special technology: shoppers who download the California Fresh Market app get to skip checkout lines using their phones.

Here’s how it works. Shoppers download the California Fresh Market app on their Android or iPhone. The app lets shoppers scan items’ barcodes to add them to their purchase, and works for produce as well. Shoppers can keep track of their running total while they browse and see specials and other information. When it’s time to checkout instead of getting in line shoppers scan a QR code at the front of the store. Payment happens on the phone via credit card or ApplePay and they’re good to go. (Of course, purchasing alcohol still requires an ID check, and the store checks a certain percentage of purchases to ensure accuracy.)

The technology is provided by mobile developer FutureProof Retail. While similar mobile self scanning technology has appeared in various tests and forms elsewhere, San Luis Obispo’s California Fresh Market will be the first store in the world to incorporate such technology from opening day, offering San Luis Obispans the ability to skip the line and checkout on their phones.

“I have been on a 20-year quest to have in-store shopping,” Co-owner Alfred Holzheu said, “and FutureProof has finally done it.”