Self-service improves the retail customer experience

Newsday: The prevalence of self-service checkouts in supermarkets and retailers like Home Depot is due, many industry experts say, to their ability to save a shopper time. And products like the Shopping Buddy, a shopping cart containing a small computer device, boast a range of functions, including the ability to place a deli order in advance, give directions to products, and notify a shopper of sale items based on the customer's history. "If you look at all those trends, they do tend to let the customer do more of the work," said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for market research company NPD. "We're in a society where people want things faster. The cashiers may not be well-trained or as customer-centric as the retailers or customers want them to be, and this is a way to take out any potential miscommunication between the customer and the clerk."

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