Wirecard, global innovation leader for digital financial technology, enables Höflinger Müller bakery chain to offer its customers payment and pre-order options via smartphone. Since May 2019, initially 90 branches of the chain represented in the greater Munich area have been connected to the solution. Customers can use it to pre-order baked goods and pay for their purchases in an uncomplicated cashless manner. In the long term, Höflinger Müller will use Wirecard to convert all sales outlets to new digital payment formats.
There has been a lot of growth in the German mobile payment market in recent months and years. Innovative payment methods such as real-time transfers, contactless payment options and mobile payment methods are increasingly being offered. As of January 2019, one in four (26% of respondents) are already using mobile payment methods, according to a recent study by the strategy consultancy, Oliver Wyman.
The Höflinger Müller app, which is designed for maximum user convenience, leads to the nearest branch and enables pre-selection from the extensive product range with or without registration. Instead of searching for small change in the physical wallet, the app user just pays via a deposited credit card, via Google Pay or Apple Pay. This offers the customer more convenience and saves bakeries comparatively high transaction costs for the provision of cash.
With Wirecard, Höflinger Müller is converting its backend system with 190 terminals to cashless payment with state-of-the-art technologies in the first phase of the project. This makes it possible for consumers to pay with methods such as Google Pay and Apple Pay even without using the Höflinger Müller app.
“We want to offer our customers not only high quality and enjoyment, but also a convenient shopping experience. Today, cashless payment plays a major role in this. With the help of Wirecard, we are now in a position to significantly increase the acceptance of these payment options,” said Franz Höflinger, Managing Director of Höflinger Müller.
“Shopping at the bakery is a classic example that is repeatedly brought up in discussions about the acceptance of cashless payment. With the solution, which is based in the backend on the boon platform and is fully integrated into the IT applications of Höflinger Müller, we have now developed an approach in which cash is no longer needed and is replaced by a fully digital system. With solutions like these, we are driving forward the digitisation of the food retail industry,” said Alexander Hahn, Vice President POS Retail Solutions at Wirecard.
