CLEVELAND – Road maps, newspapers, and phone books are on their way to extinction because of the Internet. Some retail experts say paper receipts could be next.
A number of major retailers, including Kmart, Old Navy and Gap Inc., now offer customers the option of receiving electronic receipts that are sent to their e-mail accounts.
At the Kmart store on Brookpark Road in Cleveland, customers have had the option of receiving electronic receipts for a little more than one year, according to store manager Kraig Sterk.
“Everything is sent to their home. They can manage their finances see through everything through their home computer instead of fumbling through the actual paper receipts,” he said.
Customers, including Tiffany Penn, agreed that e-receipts are convenient. “I think it’s good because…it’s very easy to lose your receipts and there’s often times wher e you have to return things so I think it’s an amazing idea.”
However, retail experts said some customers are uneasy about sharing their e-mail addresses. They said many customers also dislike the inevitable flood of store promotions into their in-boxes that follows when a retailer has your e-mail address.
Although it is an environmentally-friendly practice, stores are still printing plenty of paper. At Kmart, many customers, including Penn, still take home paper receipts too.
“It’s a comfort thing. We’re just used to the paper,” she said.
