News

China’s Rainbow Department Store chain pilots self-checkout tech, UK's Tesco trials high-speed self-checkout

May 30, 2014

NCR has won a contract for a self-checkout pilot project from China’s Rainbow Department Store chain, according to a company announcement. After an initial test phase, the self-checkout solution will be available at the newly opened Hangzhou Rainbow Shopping Mall by the middle of this year.

Rainbow Department Store is one of the top 100 chain retailers in China, NCR said.

“Our own research shows that self-checkout solutions can reduce wait times by as much as 40 percent, while nearly two-thirds of shoppers say stores that offer the option of self-checkout provide better customer service,” said Gerald Huang, general manager for Greater China, NCR Retail. 

Separately, NCR and U.K. supermarket chain Tesco are piloting an automated high-speed self-service checkout solution that uses imaging technology from Datalogic to scan the barcodes of items placed on a conveyor belt. Four units of the new system have been installed at Tesco’s new Tesco Extra 24-hour store in Lincoln, U.K.

NCR said that three shoppers can use each unit to scan, pack and pay for purchases at the same time. Each unit is attended by up to three Tesco employees, who, instead of scanning customers’ purchases, assist them with unloading their trolleys onto the conveyor belt.