Self-checkout technology is increasingly being deployed by various types of retailers, not just grocery stores and supermarket chains
The research firm RBR has published a new report revealing that more than a quarter of the 193,000 self-checkout systems shipped to merchants around the world in 2022 were installed in non-grocery stores.
The presence of self-checkouts is already common in most retail chains that are dealing with food products. Moreover, there are many fully automated unmanned and contactless stores in this segment, such as the ones opened by Amazon or JD. However, other retail store segments e.g. fashion and accessories, home appliances, etc. commonly involve a human checkout assistant.
Nevertheless, the report shows that a number of self-checkout systems in non-grocery stores is gradually increasing along with their share in the total self-service equipment installed at retail points across the globe.
Thus, in recent years, major global home improvement chains and fashion brands such as Leroy Merlin and Zara have rolled out the technology. Besides, retailers focused on the local markets are also increasingly investing in self-checkout systems. Some examples include India’s Retail Reliance and Malaysian Mr DIY chain.
RBR also notes that major US retail chains are accelerating their self-checkout adoption, either starting rollouts or adding more terminals to their stores.
In addition, the researchers highlight the increasing diversification of the technology. For example, computer vision is now more commonly used to replace manual scanning at self-checkouts, while RFID technology is also increasingly integrated into self-checkout solutions.
Besides, the study reveals that “grocery retailers in developing markets are increasingly adopting the technology, with rollouts at several Grupo Éxito banners in Colombia and at AEON supermarkets in Malaysia. Countries as diverse as Saudi Arabia and Thailand saw self-checkout installations surge in 2022.”
As for the payment options, the report shows that self-checkout terminals which do not accept cash are becoming more and more popular, with such units making up 62% of global shipments last year.
North America, in particular, saw an upsurge in deliveries of cashless self-service machines. Their adoption also remains strong in Asia. At the same time, many large retail chains offer customers a mix of cashless and cash-accepting self-checkouts, to provide greater flexibility of payment choices.
It was earlier forecasted that over 160,000 stores globally will support contactless mobile self-scan shopping by 2027.
