Self-checkout technology advancements are enabling grocery retailers create improved customer experiences through accelerated processes. In addition to technologies that can resolve theft, better identify weight-based items such as produce, or verify age, several new technologies are looking to create options to allow for smoother payment processing in a scan-free checkout environment to reduce customer frustrations with UPC code scanning. Catherine Douglas Moran and Sam Silverstein report in Grocery Dive:
“While self-checkout has come a long way from “the service robot” of the 1990s, it still poses pain points that can deter customers. A report by digital signage technology firm Raydiant last spring found 67% of surveyed consumers said they’ve experienced a self-checkout ‘fail.’”
Key in technology advances are frictionless experiences, which allow customers to either take items directly from the shelves and pass through sensors upon exit, like the Amazon Go concept, or which utilize small camera-based devices for quick and easy checkout:
“Computer vision-based self-checkout systems are particularly appropriate for settings like convenience stores, sports venues and office cafeterias, where customers generally buy only a few items and are likely to be in a hurry, said Jack Hogan, vice president of strategic partnerships for Mashgin, which makes self-checkout units that sit on a countertop.
Mashgin’s system uses cameras mounted inside the unit to identify several items at once, eliminating the need for customers to scan each product separately. The company’s equipment can process transactions three to four times as quickly as traditional self-checkout systems, according to Hogan.”
The countertop-style checkout stations such as Mashgin and rival Caper AI’s Caper Counter provide additional flexibility by not requiring store modifications to implement and offering traditional payment terminals, allowing for both card and cash payment options.
Overview by Jordan Hirschfield, Director of Research at Mercator Advisory Group