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Walmart is suing rival BJ’s Wholesale Club claiming that the retail giant stole technology to launch a self-checkout feature similar to the ones used at the company’s subsidiary Sam's Club, which boasts nearly 600 locations in the US.
Walmart alleges that the company worked for years to develop a “Scan & Go” feature that allowed Sam’s Club customers to ring up purchases on smartphones while shopping, eliminating the need for a long checkout line.
The lawsuit, which was filed in federal court, alleges that innovations were simply taken without permission” by BJ’s, which launched its contactless offering, “ExpressPay," in late 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walmart has been using Scan & Go technology since at least 2016.
The complaint claims that BJ’s gave Walmart’s tech a new name, logo, and interface, but the rest remains relatively unchanged from the original.
“Express Pay is an apparent copy of Sam’s Club’s Scan & Go, merely changing the in-app colors and changing the name from Scan & Go to Express Pay,” the lawsuit alleges, claiming that BJ’s infringed on several of Walmart’s patents that were previously filed.
Walmart is seeking an injunction against BJ's and unspecified monetary damages, officials said. A BJ's spokesperson said the company will not comment on pending litigation.
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