KEEP the cash in your pocket and swipe or tap your card, watch or phone from next month at Warrnambool Country Meats.
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Owner David Wiese said the award-winning butcher shop at Northpoint Shopping Centre (formerly Centro) would transition to a cash-less store from August 1.
He said removing cash would increase hygiene standards and productivity.
"I allow 17.5 hours each week to count cash," he said.
"I can take that expense and put it into production and not increase prices for the consumer. The main thing though is hygiene. We are in the middle of the flu season and there has been a lot of unfortunate deaths this year. We are upping the ante on our hygiene."
He said 88 per cent of sales were already conducted without cash at the shop.
"We find that people are tapping phones, watches and cards," he said.
"It's the way of the future. We just thought we would be an early adopter of it and go forward. We would be the first retail meat business in Warrnambool to go cashless."
Mr Wiese said he had nothing to hide from the tax office.
"Other business owners say you have to have cash," he said.
"Not in this day and age. We all want good schools, good hospitals, we all have to pay tax."
Another innovation the shop has introduced is ready-made meals, cooked by chefs.
The home-style meals are ready to heat and Mr Wiese said the packs had proved popular since being introduced six weeks ago.
Favourites include green Thai chicken curry and rice, roast meats and vegetables, lasagne, curried sausages and parmigiana.
Mr Wiese originally hired chef Matt McGowan one night a week to cook the meals, but production has now increased to three nights and a second chef has been employed.
"We were approached by one of our customers who cooks for her mother and mother-in-law three times a week," he said.
"We saw a need for meals in the wider community. They are fairly traditional meals. A surprise market is shift workers. They can heat them up on a break at midnight when nothing else is open. There are a lot of busy mums that come in too. We are looking to expand the range into family-size portions."
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