News

In England: NCR checkouts can accommodate the big items, too

March 23, 2004

If you're carrying an oversize item to the self-checkout, fear not: NCR Corp. knows how you feel.

The company has devised a way to check out those items, either using a kiosk-based bar-code scanner or a handheld scanner.

The system is in place at the new Marks & Spencer Lifestore in Gateshead, England.

Marks & Spencer sells home furnishings, including such items as cutlery, outdoor lights and gym equipment. And patrons can check it all out personally and speedily.

According to a press release, the kiosks are larger than the standard NCR FastLane units that have been installed in food departments at 14 Marks and Spencer's stores in Great Britain over the past 18 months. The bagging area has an additional space for customers to place items too large to put in carrier bags while they pay.

"NCR's innovative self-checkout machines complement our brand-new concept in home retailing and provide additional customer choice," said Richard Austin, area manager at Marks & Spencer. "Marks & Spencer was the first UK retailer to trial self-checkout units in the UK at our Metro Centre store, and we are now the first to trial them in a stand-alone homeware store."

"NCR can tailor the design of its NCR FastLane self-checkout tills to meet retailers' needs," said Alberto Camuri, NCR's Retail Solutions Division vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"NCR's design flexibility combined with the consumer popularity of self-checkout means that this technology is likely to spread quickly in the UK to many different types of retail sectors."