Tesco wants its shoppers to forgo paper, at least when it concerns receipts. According to a Daily Mirror report, the retailer is in talks with a vendor to roll out electronic receipts in its stores in the U.K. next year.
While some have questioned the security of using electronic receipts, arguing they leave merchants open to massive return fraud, the success of Apple and others has led retailers to consider the advantages of the technology. These include cost savings, a reduction in paper waste, greater consumer insights and added shopper engagement opportunities.
Lord Ian MacLaurin, who served as Tesco's chairman from 1985 to 1997, leads eReceipts, the company reported to be in talks with the retailer about its electronic receipts program.
"We started it two years ago and it is accelerating away," Lord MacLaurin told the Mirror. "We've had successful trials and the future is very rosy."
In a Nov. 2012 RetailWire poll, 67 percent of respondents said they expect the majority of retail transactions to be confirmed with a electronic receipt within the next 10 years.