Tesco bosses have revealed a big change for many customers, with the supermarket giant confirming shoppers will be “targeted” as they peruse the aisles. With a sprawling network of stores across the UK, Tesco has been offering its “Scan as you Shop” feature in over 500 locations, granting Clubcard holders the convenience of scanning their purchases with a handheld device while navigating the store.

The handy service even allows for items to be bagged on the go, meaning a quicker payment process at dedicated Scan as you Shop checkouts. On Wednesday, October 9, Tesco‘s retail arm disclosed that these scanners will soon enable the supermarket to “target” customers with “brand ads based on a shopper’s location in store”, as reported by The Grocer.

At a supplier event in London, Tesco showcased several advertising prospects for brands, including what it dubbed “in-store Scan as you Shop geo-targeting”.

Tesco Media and Insight Platform, its retail media division, launched ads on the self-scanning devices last year, claiming it was the the first retailer to do so globally. But this version, which has yet to be released, allows ads to pop up as customers approach particular shelves or store sections.

Lee Roberts, head of sales at Tesco Media & Insight Platform, told suppliers: “This means you’re going to be able to target customers in proximity to an aisle, to a shelf, as they navigate their way around the store. I’m about to go into the frozen aisle and on my Scan as you Shop device I’m delivered a display message for a particular product, offer, or promotion that’s in that frozen aisle. And this can be replayed as you navigate your way around the rest of the store”.

No date has been set for its availability, but Mr Roberts stated it is a “huge step forward in terms of our location-targeting capabilities, and a massive step forward for our connected store offering”.

Scan as you Shop devices are available in 580 Tesco stores, exclusively for Clubcard members. At present, approximately 200 stores provide brands with the chance to run ads on their handsets.