For over 10 years, the self checkout store has been a big success in the business, and customers are eager to see additional self checkout alternatives in every shop they visit. So our article will point out how this solution has worked and some examples of how retailers have implemented it into their business.
Overview
What is a self checkout store?
Self checkouts (SCOs), also called Assisted checkouts (ACOs) or self service checkouts, are devices that allow customers to finish their transactions in a store without having to wait in line at a standard staffed checkout.
Customers can scan item barcodes before paying for their whole purchase using SCOs, eliminating the need for one-on-one employee assistance. Self checkouts are most often found in supermarkets, however, they may also be found in department and convenience stores. At least one staff person supervises most self-checkout locations, typically aiding customers with transactions, adjusting pricing, or otherwise offering assistance.
Many retailers are now taking advantage of ConnectPOS since it supports this feature perfectly. The customer can receive a great shopping experience while the seller can achieve better sales.
Examples of retail self checkout stores
Amazon Go
Amazon Go is a convenience shop business owned by Amazon that operates in the United States and the United Kingdom. Customers can purchase things without being checked out by a cashier or via a self-checkout station because the stores are cashierless and hence, mostly automated.
It started when a team of Amazon executives designed and tested Amazon Go stores. The company’s first store, in the Day 1 building, opened to employees on December 5, 2016, and to the general public on January 22, 2018.
Prepared foods, meal kits, some groceries, and booze are available in the flagship location. Amazon Go Grocery, a larger version, debuted on February 25, 2020, in Seattle’s Capitol Hill area. Amazon began offering its technology to other merchants the next month, allowing their consumers to make purchases without the need for cashiers or Amazon accounts.
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In 2020, there are 29 open and announced self checkout stores in Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, London, and New York City.
Although Amazon Go is expanding across the U.S, it is not the only player. Two new digital start-ups receiving the attention of the eCommerce world are AiFi and Grabango. They are developing self-driving systems for big shops, battling Amazon in the checkout-less technological war.
Lagerhaus
In September 2017, Lagerhaus, a Swedish furniture company, came up with a new shopping method. They have developed a more contemporary shopping experience that gives customers total control by allowing them to handle the in-store checkout.
Lagerhaus’s IT Manager, Bradley Coyne had a clear vision relating to customer experience. Like many other retailers, the company didn’t favor any waiting lines at stores. Lagerhaus wanted to empower its customers, giving them complete control over their shopping experience.
Moreover, in the last several years, customer expectations of the shopping experience have shifted considerably. Customers have gotten accustomed to quickness, freedom of choice, and having everything suited to their interests as a result of internet purchasing. Then, self checkout stores were an easy solution for Lagerhaus.
This furniture company partnered with POS provider Sitoo and Bambora to actualize their vision of self-service checkouts. Lagerhaus picked Bambora’s payment solution because they wanted an inventive and adaptable partner that wasn’t scared to try something new.
The new self-service checkouts were introduced in September 2017 and were rolled out in all 44 locations in Sweden and Norway over the course of six weeks. According to Bradley Coyne, the new checkouts required shop personnel to take on a more sales-oriented role, which generated some anxiety among the staff in the run-up to the introduction. Employee turnover was a result of this anxiety, but Lagerhaus can now see that store staff have embraced their new position.
They have seen an improvement in-store productivity since their employees were actively selling instead of merely manning the checkouts. Lagerhaus has witnessed greater average purchases in addition to improved income when clients utilize the self checkout stores. Customers’ reactions have also been good, with some businesses reporting a self-service checkout usage rate of almost 90%.
Take&GO
Managed by Surge Cloud and established on 10 September 2019, Take&GO is the first self-contained retail business in Poland. There are no employees in the stores, no cashiers, and simply a system of sensors on the shelves with items, as well as a large network of cameras installed throughout the store.
Self-service is already available at a few stores, but when you’ve chosen all of your items, you head to the self-service checkout and pay with a card – Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay, or Google Pay – at the payment terminal. There will be no cash registers in Take&GO, only a sensor system on the shelves holding goods and a video system throughout the store.
The consumer will be confirmed at the entrance using the smartphone application, after which he will be able to select the goods of interest, and the intelligent shelves and cameras will recognize the product, charging his account automatically when he leaves the store. This is identical to the Amazon GO stores that are already open in the United States.
The customer’s smartphone with the Take&GO application installed will be the key to the entire procedure.
The self checkout stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Customers can choose from a wide variety of products. In Take&GO stores, there are about 900 products, mostly food and a variety of ready meals. There are no smokes or alcohol allowed. As the network grows, the product line will evolve and adapt to meet the demands and wants of clients.
Interestingly, in a period when everyone is aiming for contactless payments and due to the impacts of COVID-19, Surge Cloud introduces payment terminals to its stores. And in the foreseeable future, the organization states that it will improve its system to work on the 2.0 version and expand the chain to give customers a better shopping experience.
In a nutshell
With the current situation and development trends, self checkout stores seem to be the first choice for every retailer when they want to enhance their performance. So, to choose the right solution for your business, give us a call to receive the most thorough advice right now.