Supermarket chain Morrisons has begun testing scan-and-go technology in six of its stores, including one in Cardiff, as it strives to catch up with industry rivals.

This move comes more than a decade after similar services were introduced by competitors such as Tesco and Sainsbury's.

The trial, first reported by The Grocer, offers a service akin to Tesco's Scan as you Shop and Sainsbury's Smartshop, both of which are widely available across their respective store networks. It marks the latest initiative by Morrisons' chief executive officer, Rami Baitiéh, to modernise the supermarket's operations and align with industry standards.

Baitiéh has been actively working to revitalise Morrisons' performance since taking the helm. In April, the retailer introduced trolley advertising, and more recently, it has bolstered its More loyalty scheme. Last week, Morrisons reduced prices on over 2,000 branded and own-brand essential items for More card members, both in-store and online.

However, this push towards technology comes shortly after Baitiéh indicated a desire to rebalance the checkout mix. He told The Telegraph, "We've gone a bit too far with self-checkouts," suggesting plans to remove some in favour of manned tills.

Despite this, automation remains a key area of interest for retailers. Tesco, for instance, launched trials of scan-free checkout technology in a Fulham store last year – though that store has since reverted its operations to a traditional checkout system.

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