The world’s biggest electronics store uses NFC tags to let shoppers self-checkout on their mobile phones

MediaMarktSaturn, Europe’s largest consumer electronics retailer, is piloting a mobile self-checkout service that lets customers add products to their shopping basket by tapping the NFC tag included in the digital price tags of more than 100,000 products on sale at its Hamburg city centre store. “Lengthy queues at the checkout cost customers time and retailers money,” the retailer says. “Over the past 12 months alone, the European retail sector has suffered losses estimated at €34bn (including €6.7bn in Germany) because customers couldn’t face the long wait at the checkout.