By Philippa Larkin
JOHANNESBURG - Retailer Pick n Pay said yesterday that Smart Shoppers could now have their till receipts emailed to them directly instead of receiving a printed receipt as it pursues its strategy of becoming environmentally responsible and promoting sustainable living.
The digital receipts would also be loaded on to a customer’s Pick n Pay mobile app profile for 90 days so that they were saved in one place for easy access and review.
“Many till receipts land up in landfills, as they are often lost in rubbish bins and not recycled. This new Smart Shopper initiative will significantly reduce till slip litter by sending customers their receipt digitally, and only printing a small summary slip at the check-out as proof-of-purchase,” the company said.
John Bradshaw, the retail executive: marketing at Pick n Pay, said: “We are always looking at ways we can reduce waste within our stores … Customers are already telling us they enjoying the option of not having to worry where they have put their till receipt.”
The retailer said nearly 13 000 customers had signed up during the pilot phase of digital receipts earlier this year, and an additional 7 000 customers had opted in to receive digital receipts within a week of launching to Smart Shoppers last week.
Pick n Pay said that if customers who had opted for digital receipts wanted a printed slip, they could ask the cashier to print their full receipt.
All high-value items or products with a warranty would automatically be printed on the summary slip.
Customers who want to return a product could show their digital receipt from their email or on the mobile app, or provide their summary slip, which included a scannable barcode.
Earlier this month, Pick n Pay said it had recruited 20 of its largest food and manufacturer suppliers to join the 10x20x30 initiative to combat in-store and supply chain food waste by 2030. The 10x20x30 scheme is supported by 10 of the world’s largest food retailers and manufacturers.
In Pick n Pay’s “Sustainability report 2019”, it set these environmental targets for 2023:
- An average of 30 percent recycled content across all Pick n Pay packaging.
- A 30 percent reduction in the average packaging weight of Pick n Pay-branded products (using the 2019 financial year as the baseline).
- A 30 percent increase in sales of reusable bags (2019 baseline).
- A 50 percent reduction in food waste (2015 baseline).
- 100 percent of Pick n Pay packaging will be reusable or recyclable.
- 100 percent of cardboard and paper used for Pick n Pay packaging will be sourced from responsibly managed forests.
- 100 percent of Pick n Pay-branded products will feature an on-pack recycling logo by 2023.
In the report, Pick n Pay said in a country challenged by a scarcity of arable land and water, South Africa’s diminishing seafood stocks and the projected impact of climate change posed considerable challenges to developing a sustainable food system.
“We, therefore, recognise our responsibility to raise awareness about important system components such as waste and the impacts of climate change on the food value chain,” the retailer said.
BUSINESS REPORT