Bäcker Steinecke in Berlin: Cashless sale causes excitement!

Bäcker Steinecke in Berlin: Cashless sale causes excitement!

in Berlin and in many places in Germany, a remarkable trend prevails: the cash payment is increasingly disappearing in many shops, including bakeries. A striking example of this development is the "Brotmeisterei Steinecke" bakery at Lützowplatz in Schöneberg, which has only accepted cashless payments since July 1, 2023. This decision was made from a test phase based on experience, which is also carried out in other branches in Hanover, Leipzig and Braunschweig. So reports Berlin Live that customers can now pay with EC cards, credit cards, smartphones or a rechargeable steinecke.

Customers react differently to the changeover. While some appreciate the practical advantages of cashless payment, the new regulations also harvest critical voices - especially those who are dependent on cash or simply prefer it. In order to facilitate the transition, the Leipzig branch even offered a “conversion discount” of 10 % in the first few days. This shows that the bakery tries to make the new payment style tasty to its customers, reports Free press .

cashless paying

However, the development is not just a local peculiarity. According to a study by the Deutsche Bundesbank, which was published in July 2023, the proportion of indifferent payment methods in Germany rose sharply. Cash is only used in 51 % of the payment processes - an increase in 7 percentage points since the last survey. It is particularly noteworthy that more and more people - a total of 81 % of those surveyed - indicate that their transactions would also be possible without cash. This underlines the trend towards digital payment methods, which no longer seems to be stopped. Further information on this can be found on the website of the Bundesbank

But where does this rethink come from? The reasons are probably diverse. On the one hand, cashless payment methods offer enormous convenience and speed, which is often crucial in dense city life. On the other hand, some people see a challenge for their privacy in the event of cash. The change also happens in other bakeries: the Bäckerei Behrendt in Vogtland has not accepted one and two-cent coins for years and relies on round prizes.

The test run and the future

Clear, the changeover at Steinecke is only a test run that should take up to at least four weeks after the start. After this phase, the bakery wants to evaluate the reactions of customers and employees. While some are progressing into the world of cashless payments, it remains exciting to see whether traditional means of payment is finally a thing of the past or whether the cash in niches remains very popular.

The discussion about cash and cashless payment will continue to proceed, and especially in a country like Germany, where cash was part of culture for a long time, it is an interesting topic that affects everyone - from the small baker to the large retail company.