Self-checkout and efficient service for Hemköp
Self–checkout and smart exit / entry gates help Hemköp to efficiently serve their consumers and reduce loss, with less colleague interaction.
Can self-checkout increase staff efficiency?
To avoid having staff waiting for consumers in the checkout zone during low traffic, Hemköp started to look for further automation. The overall goal was to find efficient service without impairing colleague interaction and to reduce the overall waiting time for all consumer types.
Self-checkout and consumer flow analysis
After Hemköp reached out to ITAB, we started an analysis of the store’s consumer flow, as well as identifying typical consumer needs. The business goal, less colleague interaction, helped us define two areas of focus. A visual entrance should guide consumers better throughout the store, and the checkout zone needed a new design based on their consumers’ needs.
To make the entrance visually attractive with maximum prevention of backflow, we decided to design the area with automatic gates of glass construction. These are equipped with special features both for backflow and security purposes.
All the different stages of a self-checkout purchase were then analysed to find the most interactive purchase process. Smart exit gates connected to purchase were also written into the design to automate fraud protection. The possibility to connect the exit gates with sensors and AI software, became an important part of the design. Its ability to identify people that have paid, and automatically open, or remain closed for others should make the journey even smoother, but still offers more protection from loss.
A coherent and satisfying experience
Today, Hemköp’s consumers are guided into the store and can complete their purchase served by 24/7 seamless automation. All consumers, whether making big or small purchases, are experiencing reduced queues and waiting time, which means less last-minute drop and more satisfied, returning consumers.
Invisible loss prevention in the self-checkout area
The interactive purchase process and the intelligent exit solution make it easier for consumers to go through the checkout by themselves. All loss prevention actions are written into the design help Hemköp to ensure their margins without the need to use staff as a control feature.
