21st October 2013

Customer Experience research published by Cisco reveals 42% of customers prefer to shop in a store which offers Self Service Checkouts. The report also states 52% prefer to use self service checkouts to avoid queuing time.

The statistics reflect a global shift in consumer trend towards acceptance of in-store automation. Revealingly 49% of the surveyed participants faced no objection to mechanical restocking of frozen or refrigerated items and 61% were willing to shop in a completely automated shop.

In a UK study conducted by Market Force, 63% said they liked to use self service for the perception of increased transaction speed created by controlling their own checkout process.

For retailers deliberating whether or not to include self service checkouts, the key benefits to consider are reduced operation costs, decreased manual cash handling errors and the delivery of superior speed, choice and participation expected by today’s consumers.

Cisco’s research indicates 58% of customers prefer assistance on the shop floor from in-store associates, highlighting the importance of customer service and the personal touch. Retailers concerned about the implications of replacing staff with automated checkouts should consider the potential for flexible staff allocation offered by self service, freeing store assistants to concentrate on delivering higher levels of customer service.

With research firm RBR predicting installations of self checkout terminals to increase to 320,000 by 2018, the decision facing retailers is whether to join the self service trend now, or to play catch up with competitors in the future.

Call 0844 811 8700 for further information regarding our unique range of self service checkouts.