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Consumers prefer self-service, survey reveals

May 18, 2005

ePaynews.com: Thirty-six percent of U.S. consumers who visit stores without self-checkout systems would like to see the technology installed, according to a recent survey by Peak Tech Consulting.

Major retail chains like Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Costco are already using self-checkout systems to increase sales and customer satisfaction while reducing lines.

At end-2002, Home Depot started piloting self-checkout systems in 12 stores. And in 2003 it rolled out integrated self-checkouts and POS systems in 777 stores. Home Depot now has self-checkout systems in 1,029 stores, installing digital dashboards for store operations and implementing a SAP platform.

Wholesaler Costco also is testing self-checkouts at some stores and plans a wider deployment, based on customer feedback. And to deflect competition from its rival Target, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is similarly automating its checkouts to reduce lines and improve its service.

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