Green light for retail self-service checkouts

The smooth running of modern self-service systems which retail customers use, for example, to conduct the payment process themselves (self-checkouts), is supported by a traffic-light system attached to the systems. The current operating status is polled by software and displayed using the various light signals. This enables immediate intervention by a store supervisor in the event of possible malfunctions or attempts to interfere with the systems, thereby ensuring orderly, user-friendly purchasing and payment procedures.

Self-checkout is one example of retail automation being driven by Wincor Nixdorf using a combination of hardware, software and services to create all-round solutions for specific business processes, assisting the efforts of retailers to save time and cost with a view to operating in ways which are more customer-friendly and, at the same time, more profitable. As various studies have shown, the majority of ultimate consumers take a very positive view of the new technology, and acceptance is increasingly on the way up. Following on the heels of the USA, the systems are increasingly being found in European retail outlets, including Germany.

User-friendliness plays a key part in determining customer acceptance of this kind of technology. As well as the simplified checkout process, the use of cashless payment systems also offers the customer ease of use as well as being a key factor in simplifying and speeding up the checkout process.