Even though the world of self-checkout systems has been in existence for the last 10 years or so, some retailers are still holding back on this convenient technology. While the market space has been heavily dominated by players such as NCR, Fujitsu and IBM, retailers and VARs must work together to choose the combination that provides the best strategic advantage.
While there are direct savings resulting in the ability to not have as many cashiers manning checkout lanes, self-checkout also providers retailers the ability to employ more staff on the sales floor, who can be busy assisting customers instead of being chained to the checkout area.
According to Aravindh Vanchesan, program manager, retail systems for Frost & Sullivan, the usually conservative retail industry has demonstrated a greater willingness to experiment with new technologies, such as self-checkout, in recent years.
Find out what else Vanchesan had to say about this booming industry, and some of the "do's and don'ts" that retailers and VARs alike should be aware of before investing in self-checkout.
