News

Study: Shoppers want self-service options

October 6, 2011

A majority of U.S. consumers believe that self-service technologies such as self-checkout and kiosks improve the store experience, according to consumer survey conducted by The NPD Group for NCR Corp. In fact, the study that surveyed 1,104 respondents in the U.S., found that almost half of younger shoppers preferred to use self-checkout in stores.

"Survey results highlight how consumers are embracing self-service and their growing preference for self-service options when shopping," said Scott Kingsfield, senior vice president and general manager of NCR's retail line of business. "By offering consumers the choice of self-checkout as part of their full-service portfolio, retailers can offer consumers a convenient and enhanced shopping experience."

The stats

• Two out of three U.S. consumers surveyed want self-service options when shopping.
• Nearly half of U.S. shoppers surveyed under 45 want stores to offer self-checkout.
• Almost 46 percent of U.S. consumers surveyed want stores to offer more self-service options, like self-checkout or kiosks, to improve their shopping experience.

Additional NCR research data shows that U.S. grocers who implement self-checkout see self-service usage rates of about 35 percent of all transactions.

"The option of self-service, when delivered as part of a strategic customer engagement program, can help many retailers cater to today's time-starved and on-the-go consumers," said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group. "This survey demonstrates that self-checkout is a popular choice for these shoppers, who appreciate the speed and convenience of self-service."

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