Tesco is partnering with real-time visual assistance app Be My Eyes to “enhance in-store accessibility” for customers with sight loss.
The app typically works by connecting people who are blind and low-vision with a global community of volunteers and AI. The volunteers receive photos or videos from users, and assist them via live chat.
In the six-month trial with the supermarket, app users will be connected directly with Tesco colleagues. Tesco staff will assist by identifying products on the shelf and confirming correct sizes, variants or expiry dates; verifying special Clubcard offers, promotions and rewards; giving assistance with self-service checkouts; and requesting immediate support from customer service teams within the store.
The move – which covers all Tesco stores in the UK – will mean blind and partially sighted customers can shop “with greater confidence, independence and ease”, the supermarket said.
“Everyone is welcome at Tesco, and with Be My Eyes, we can help support visually impaired customers by connecting them with a Tesco colleague for live, in-store support using a simple video call,” said Russell Price, chair of disability network at Tesco.
“This trial aims to help make shopping at Tesco even more welcoming and accessible for our blind or partially sighted customers, even when shopping independently,” he added.
Tesco is the first major supermarket in Europe to join Be My Eyes in offering on-demand support.
“Our mission at Be My Eyes has always been to make the world more accessible for people who are blind or partially sighted,” said Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes. “By joining forces with Tesco, we’re making everyday shopping not just more convenient, but more inclusive for thousands of people in the UK who deserve equal access to essential services.”
The supermarket is also launching a new accessibility feature on all self-service checkouts which allows customers to further adjust the colour contrast and text size to suit their needs, by tapping the accessibility button to switch to a high-contrast mode or larger text for easier reading.
Tesco has previously worked with the RNIB to understand “what opportunities there are to improve shopping trips” for blind and partially sighted customers, such as the existing ‘zoomed in feature’ on self-service checkouts.
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