While indoor dining has resumed with limited capacity in some states in the U.S., food delivery has found new importance during the COVID-19 crisis. Customers can get their favorite meals delivered safely to their doorsteps, and third-party companies, such as Uber Eats and DoorDash, are helping many restaurants reach new audiences.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. early this year, many restrictions were put into place and among other safety measures, merchants that remained open started encouraging customers to use contactless payment methods. While other parts of the world were already familiar with the benefits of this payment method, the adoption in the U.S. had been growing at a very slow rate. However, the pandemic acted as a catalyst and now it’s widely being used by merchants and consumers alike. This was the turning point for contactless payments in the U.S., but I think this will also be pivotal for the adoption of self-service solutions and a growing range of use cases.
While most retail industry players faced business challenges as COVID19 surged in the U.S., grocers experienced growth. These stores followed guidelines around social distancing, store capacity and even added contactless payments and curbside pick-up options available in many instances for safe shopping.
When you think about the in-store experience in a grocery environment, the speed of checkout and convenience to the customers has helped many businesses grow. New technology has enabled grocers to increase throughput and provide convenient checkout options such as self-service, curbside pick-up, contactless, etc.
Even before the sweeping effects of COVID-19, contactless payments comprised a heavy percentage of modern retail purchases. As once shuttered businesses begin to reopen and adapt to more germ-conscious customers, contactless payments have emerged as an essential solution to have in place.
