Inside the massive H-E-B plus! store in Schertz, shoppers are testing a new way to check...
The San Antonio-based grocer is not the only one deploying technology to streamline shopping. Besides H-E-B, a flurry of others — Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, ShopRite, Amazon, Costco and Hy-Vee, to name a few — are experimenting with self-checkout systems.
“If I’m a time-starved mom or dad and I am doing my weekly shopping, to be able to get in and get out as quickly as possible, to make that experience more streamlined, is something certainly as a consumer I would seek out,” said Rob Weisberg, senior vice president of incentives and loyalty at Inmar Intelligence, a retail analytics company in Winston-Salem, N.C.
And when technology doesn’t perform as advertised — such as handheld devices that scan improperly — or is too complex, consumer frustration can threaten brand loyalty.“Automation is a polarizing topic with consumers,” said Carol Spieckerman, president of retail advisory firm Spieckerman Retail, based in Bentonville, Ark. “Some love the convenience factor and seek out self-check options wherever possible. Others have concerns about automation replacing workers or grumble about lack of service.
“People are in a hurry and they want to get in and get out, but only if the technology makes it easier,” Rowen said. “It has to be easier to use than it is to ignore.” More than 20 percent use mobile checkout systems, and over a third are planning to do so. Those options are supported by credit or debit cards, which is expensive for retailers because of high interchange fees, the report said.
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