Magazine: The state of play: digital milestones in Hungarian retail trade

Digitalisation is more and more important in manufacturing, business management and retail trade. The most important market players, developers and retail chains talked to our magazine about the innovations that meet the challenges created by digital trends.

SuperSmart checkout

Pál Tóth
sales manager
Bizerba

SuperSmart and Bizerba’s joint Scan&Shop solution is being introduced to the market. Pál Tóth, sales manager of Bizerba told our magazine: there are two key details that make the SuperSmart solution unique. One is that the products collected by the shopper are identified by a camera and weighed at the end of the process. The other is the artificial intelligence (AI) element of the system, which by analysing former shoppings of individual customers not only helps to identify products in the basket, but also provides stores with useful information, e.g. in-store route, time spent in-store, etc.

Chatbot-supported communication

In May 2018 ALDI Magyarország Élelmiszer Bt. was the first retailer in Hungary to launch a chatbot service on Messenger: customer questions are answered by the new intelligent solution 24 hours a day. ALDI’s experience is that the chatbot can answer the majority of questions by giving a link or directing the person to the customer service. Efficient logistics and stock management is supported by a computer-assisted ordering system. The so-called Infoboard has been used in ALDI’s internal communication for years: this is a digital screen on which various divisions (sales, logistics, management) have their own channel and tailor-made content is displayed.

Pricer electronic shelf labels

Dávid Szabó
CEO
Szintézis

Dávid Szabó, the CEO of Szintézis Zrt. spoke to our magazine about their Pricer electronic shelf label system: it has been used for 10 years now by retailers and industrial production companies. This year all Euronics stores in Hungary started using Pricer electronic shelf labels, plus many retail chains, e.g. Príma also adopted the fast and reliable optical wireless communication system. Thanks to the system’s unique triangulation method, in-store navigation also becomes possible.

 

Swabia’s Silicon Valley – Würth develops a new store concept with Wanzl

Edit Nagy
Wanzl Magyarország
managing director

According to Edit Nagy, managing director of Wanzl Magyarország, it was 12 months ago that German mechanical components wholesaler Würth contacted Wanzl with the request to develop the first store which is open 24 hours a day. The self service Würth24-concept store opened in Vöhringen: after 17:00 there are no shop assistants in the store, customers can enter by scanning the Würth App QR code. Once they finished shopping and reach the checkout zone, a port opens automatically and customers enter a so-called tunnel scanner, e.g. it is also here that the security device fitted on items is released.

A smartphone app that satisfies all shopper needs

László Bagaméri
Praktiker
sales director

Praktiker’s mobile app debuted in Hungary in the spring of 2018, on both the Android and the iOS platforms. What is more, Praktiker also made the digital version of its loyalty card available to shoppers: it is enough to show it to the cashier at the checkout for a 3-, 5-, 7- or 10-percent discount. In the app shoppers can browse the Praktiker online shop where there are 30,000 products. Sales director László Bagaméri told: 70 percent of customers who download the app regularly use it. What is more, 90 percent of new registrants only use the digital-format loyalty card.

GTIN – the key to satisfied shoppers

Zsófia Burányi
PR- and marketing
manager
GS1

GS1 Magyarország informed us that the GS1 system of standards is used by more than 2 million enterprises in nearly 20 industries. Manufacturers and retailers mark most products with the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), so that they are identifiable in the global market. PR and marketing manager Zsófia Burányi talked to Trade magazine about the biggest online marketplaces such as Alibaba, Amazon, eBay or Google Shopping only displaying products with a GTIN marking in their online shop.

Self-service checkouts and online shop launch

Márk Maczelka
head of communications
SPAR Magyarország

Márk Maczelka, SPAR’s head of communications informed us that in their stores customers can pay in cash or by using a bank, SuperShop or SPAR gift card, plus Erzsébet vouchers can also be used. Until the end of 2018 SPAR plans to install self-service checkouts in 44 SPAR supermarkets and INTERSPAR hypermarkets – in addition to the ones already working in the supermarkets in Érd, Tatabánya and Bicske and the hypermarket in Tatabánya. Feedback has been positive so far: in the Érd store almost 30 percent of customers have already paid at the 6 self-service checkouts since September 2017. In early 2019 SPAR is going to launch its online shops, which is already being tested.

Scan&Shop – the latest technology has been available for two years

Nóra Hevesi, communications director of Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt. also spoke to Trade magazin about the growing number of customers who use the self-service checkouts. Tesco’s Scan & Shop service and application increase the shopping experience and save time for shoppers. Ms Hevesi highlighted the fact that Tesco was the first retailer in Hungary to launch an online shop in 2013. The service is now available in 107 cities and villages. Orders can be placed from home or from smartphone while one is on the way home. Products are delivered to the consumer’s door at the time specified by the shopper (there are 2-hour time slots for this) or can be collected at any selected store, by choosing the Click&Collect option.