Research Finds Over a Quarter of Canadians Would Opt for Self-Service Checkout

The NCR-sponsored study reveals over a quarter of Canadian consumers are keen to adopt a range of new technologies that retailers are looking to introduce in stores. For example, over one-quarter (27 per cent) of Canadians said they would be more likely to shop at a store that offers self-checkout technology, allowing shoppers to scan, bag and pay for goods themselves, as opposed to one that does not. Among those respondents more likely to shop at a store with self-checkout than without, major benefits cited include choice in how they check out (86 per cent), speed of checkout (85 per cent), shorter lines (84 per cent), control (75 per cent) and privacy (71 per cent). When it comes to other technologies that can improve the store experience, at least eight in ten (83 per cent) consumers would like to see retailers offer kiosks for price-checking, and 61 per cent indicate they would use kiosks for additional product information. Fifty-two per cent liked the idea of a kiosk for pre-ordering deli items, and having the order fulfilled while they shop elsewhere in the store. Rather than pulling staff from the store floor and moving them to the checkout, especially during peak periods, retailers with self-checkout can redirect store personnel to tasks that increase customer satisfaction, such as providing in-aisle assistance or restocking shelves. The Ipsos-Reid study showed that some 63 per cent of Canadian consumers feel the most important areas are having easily accessible personnel in the aisles, at a greeter station or at a customer service desk. Retailers could improve customer service if staff were reallocated to these areas. According to NCR, the growth in self-service will not be restricted just to grocery stores. Many airlines, including WestJet, are deploying kiosks to expedite the check-in process. WestJets self-serve check-in program allows passengers to check in using either a credit card or confirmation number, make seat selections, check their bags and print their own boarding passes. WestJets Don Bell, executive vice president, Guest Services, said, An average of 30 to 40 per cent of our passengers use our self-serve check-in kiosks, however, its not uncommon that during busy times, as high as 70 per cent of customers take the self-service route. The trend toward self-service is expected to increase as kiosks make their way into fast-food restaurants for pre-ordering, cell phone stores for faster bill payment and car rental agencies for making or updating reservations. NCR subsidiary Kinetics just introduced CheckinHere(tm), a kiosk solution that allows passengers to check in to their flights at off-airport locations such as hotels and cruise ports.