Home Depot adds NCR FastLane to its lineup

ATLANTA -- Home Depot, the second largest retailer in the United States, announced on Dec. 2 that it will install NCR FastLane self-checkout lanes in approximately 800 of its 1,487 stores.

The addition of the self-service lanes is the first phase of Home Depot's FAST (Front-end Accuracy and Service Transformation) project designed to upgrade the chain's systems, the company's press release said.

"Home Depot is the first major home improvement retailer to adopt self-checkout systems," said Troy Rice, Home Depot's senior vice president of operations, in the release. "Surveys show customer acceptance of self-checkout is growing rapidly in other retail channels. Our own tests indicate customer preference for this process will be very strong in home improvement as well."

The company, which employs about 296,000 people, will install four checkout stations in each of 300 stores within the next 12 months. It plans to add lanes to an additional 500 stores after the first phase is complete.

NCR FastLane, the company's newest self-checkout station version, was unveiled in January 2002 and was piloted by Home Depot.

The stations will feature Microsoft Windows software.