News

Extra Future Store surveys shoppers about technology

November 30, 2003

PADERBORN, Germany -- Six months after opening the Extra Future Store, Metro Group has published the results of a customer questionnaire conducted by Boston Consulting Group. The study shows that customers making active use of information technology for help and assistance when shopping have higher levels of satisfaction and buy more.

The average shopping tally rung up by users of the personal shopping assistants (PSA), which Wincor Nixdorf installed in the Extra Future Store, is above average, according to a news release. Wincor is a partner in the Metro Future Store initiative.

The detailed analysis demonstrates that as many as 24 percent of customers have used the PSA, a portable computer fixed to the shopping cart, accompanying the customer through the Extra Future Store. In comparison, 48 percent of customers use the mounted kiosk system.

"The study shows that customers are very open to retail innovations like the personal shopping assistant. Since the Extra Future Store opened its doors in Rheinberg in April 2003, 77 percent of customers have made use of the many technical innovations at least once," said Dr. Gerd Wolfram, project manager of the Metro Group Future Store initiative.

The average receipt of PSA users is above the customer average, the release said. The average checkout volume comprises 9.7 items at a value of 18 euros, PSA users ring up 13.6 items, paying 30.80 euros.

The main features customers like about the PSA include:

• Running total value and pricing information. Customers are kept up to speed throughout with their shopping progress.
  
• Fast, easy checkout procedure. The PSA has already scanned in the items during the shopping process, leaving only the total value to be transferred to the checkout system.
  
• Direction-finding and search facility. The PSA can be used as a route-finder, with customers asking where items can be found.
  
• Special offer displays. The PSA draws the customer's attention to special offers.
  
• Payback points. The PSA is a tool for handling customer loyalty schemes.

Wincor Nixdorf also tracked usage of its Certo kiosks. According to the survey, customers like the direction-finding and product-search facilities, as well as the opportunity to look up prices. Recipes were requested especially often.

The Boston Consulting Group study also supplies ideas for improvement. According to the study, customers want to see an improvement in the functionality and user-friendliness of the equipment.