Ireland: Eurospar chooses NCR self-checkout experience

NCR Corporation has announced that EUROSPAR supermarkets has chosen NCR and channel partner Leaders Enterprises Ltd., to provide an innovative self-checkout (SCO) customer experience. EUROSPAR expects that over time nearly a third of transactions will be completed using SCO. The installation demonstrates the operational efficiency and competitive differentiation that SCO solutions can provide for thousands of other local community supermarkets in the Irish market.

"While we were clear of the experiential and business benefits of deploying self-checkout solutions, we have also been driven by active requests from our consumers," said Declan Ralph, Retail Development Director at BWG Foods (owners and operators of the EUROSPAR brand in Ireland). "The installation in EUROSPAR Kilkenny is an opportunity for us to better understand the impact of SCO on our operations, providing more options for our shoppers locally. The initial results have been very positive."

NCR has also provided the consulting, training and services to help EUROSPAR to develop and maintain the SCO solution deployed. This solution includes NCR bank note recycling functionality that reduces costs by decreasing the number of cash deliveries required. The SCO solution is also fully integrated with Leaders Enterprises' front-end software platform, offering a seamless journey to the shopper, whether they are checking out at the traditional point-of-sale (POS) or self-checkout.

"Like my customers, I am keen to embrace new technology. It helps me run my business more effectively and makes my customers' lives easier," said John McCarthy, owner of EUROSPAR Kilkenny, "Providing a better service to my customers is directly connected to how I run my business. The easier it is for my team to run the shop, the more we can be out there helping people from our local community when they visit us. Efficient front of store and back office systems can save time and improve my bottom line."

People around the world use self-checkout technology for speed and greater control when they shop. Indeed, research, based on our extensive industry experience, illustrates that customers are more likely to do repeat business with a retailer that provides self-checkout technology. NCR SelfServ Checkout reduces queue waiting times by up to 40 percent, greatly enhancing the shopping experience. It also allows retail employees to be redeployed from front-end checkout duties to valuable in-aisle functions that ultimately increase retailers' overall revenue through better customer service.

Source: wsj.com