New Zealand and Australia count on flexible checkout models meeting the expectations of shoppers, employees and retailers alike. Consumers prefer self-checkout, valuing speed, simplicity and control. This is one key finding from the new IDC survey “The Evolution of Self-Checkout in Australia: Insights from Retailers and Consumers” which also applies to New Zealand’s retail landscape.
On the other side, consumers not only expect intuitive help when needed and support for diverse payment methods at the self-service checkout, they demand better in-store experiences and especially choice when shaping their own shopping journey. The good thing is: Our retailers are well aware of this. That is why we are seeing many of them using hybrid models, allowing implementation of a customer service model of “all lanes open, all of the time”. This has been resonating well with consumers and this also helps to combat other key challenges retailers are currently faced with: Improving in-store process efficiency and increasing workplace attractiveness, as it is becoming harder and harder to attract and retain store staff.
Hybrid checkout models combined with modular and flexible retail technology solutions are the basis for retailers looking for ways to push efficiency and make best use of their staff members, for example enabling them to focus on consumer service and more valuable tasks in the store then just waiting behind a POS counter several hours. Modularity enables retailers to quickly and easily change configurations to suit different consumer journeys and find the optimal checkout experience, ensuring every deployment best suits their individual store’s needs. One example is the revolutionary checkout platform DN Series® EASY ONE. Designed for retail environments where maximum flexibility is required, this highly modular solution can be configured for assisted, semi-assisted or full self-service checkout while offering multiple options for peripherals and mounting. It enables retailers to immediately react to changing requirements and quickly bring more cashiers behind the counter during peak times while running the systems as full self-service checkout solution in other periods so the lane can stay open at all times.
Despite the high satisfaction with self-service technology (95%) – another key finding from the survey – retailers are looking for ways to further innovate, prioritizing AI-driven engagement, faster payments and enhanced security in their next phase of investment. Especially AI technology is a game changer for retail, creating win-win-win-situations for consumers, employees and retailers alike. For example, with our advanced AI-powered Vynamic® Smart Vision platform we are providing retailers with what is probably the most comprehensive toolbox currently available for reducing the common sources of loss and friction at the self-service checkout. With the help of modern Smart Vision technology, the solution analyzes customer behavior and activities in real time. If the system detects a failed scan or incorrect operation, customers receive a message on the self-service checkout display informing that an item has not been scanned correctly. The scanning process can then be repeated without major interruption to the checkout process. The employees are only informed if the system displays another error message, so they can provide support to complete the checkout process correctly. Should an employee intervention nevertheless be necessary, short video sequences of the process recognized by the system as an anomaly help them to better assess what situation awaits them at the checkout.
In the meantime, we extended our AI platform capabilities to the entire store and are also able to use the smart vision technology to detect slips, trips and falls hazards in the aisles, or even to recognize dangerous situations such as armed robberies. In such a case, no retailer wants their employees and customers to put themselves in much greater danger by pressing alarm buttons or calling the police. Here, for example, our “hands up” solution recognizes when hands are raised - one of the most natural reactions in such a situation. A silent alarm and other measures can then be initiated, depending on what has been defined in advance by the retailer.
Surely, there’s still a long way to go for retailers in our region to keep up with all the current consumer desires and retail market challenges and we are still in early stages in terms of AI technology deployments, but I see the right passion and mindset among our retailers in New Zealand and Australia. In many cases, they have been role models for other regions in the world when it comes to customer-centric checkout innovation and I am pretty sure that they will continue to fulfill this role in the future.
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Originally published in Supermarket News
