Magazine: EuroCIS 2019: Self-checkouts in focus

In February Düsseldorf hosted the EurocCIS trade show: 13,000 visitors came from 94 countries to see the latest retail technology solutions. In Germany there are already 1,450 self-checkouts in 350 grocery stores. Two years earlier shoppers could use only 620 self-checkouts in 150 stores. Especially stores belonging to Edeka and Rewe were busy increasing this number.

There were 482 exhibitors from 39 countries at EuroCIS. Simone Sauerwein, the head of EHI Retail Institute’s self-service checkout programme wrote in a study that the majority of German shoppers accept this form payment, and retailers are also satisfied with self-checkouts. More than 20 percent of transactions are realised at self-checkouts. There is also a cash module in almost every self-checkout system.

Ms Sauerwein told that many EuroCIS visitors had showed interest in self-checkouts. She called attention to the fact that there is great potential in this segment, as in Germany there are still 200,000 cash registers operated by cashiers. Detlef Rohlender, managing director of ITAB Germany added that today even older consumers are happy to use self-checkouts. Swiss retailer Manor AG has installed ‘hybrid’ checkouts in more than 30 grocery stores: self-checkouts that can be transformed into traditional ones any time.

A survey conducted by EHI Retail Institute has found that retailers hardly have any problem with operating self-checkout systems. Manufacturers customise their solution to the special needs of different retailers. Numerous different self-checkout systems were showcased at EuroCIS, for instance Japanese company Fujitsu announced that they would use artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology in developing such systems.

Another great innovation news came from the USA: NCR’s self-checkout optimises the recognition of fruits and vegetables when weighing them. Further good news for EuroCIS visitors was that the costs of installing self-checkouts would return faster in the future. //