Boosting Store Efficiency with Scan & Go
Implementing mobile self-checkout technology into a retail strategy can raise the store’s efficiency considerably. Apart from the time-saving component, solutions like Scan & Go open up several possibilities, such as increasing sales revenue through data-driven recommendations.
When you think of mobile self-checkout, what first comes to mind is often the enticing idea of skipping a long queue at the cash desk. And yes, in terms of saving time, Scan & Go is as good as it gets for brick-and-mortar stores. But apart from this obvious advantage, there are numerous other benefits, not just for shoppers but for store owners as well.
According to a study conducted by the University of St. Galleni, customers using Scan & Go spend 10% more money per shopping trip compared to customers using the traditional checkout procedure. And this is not solely because of the time component. Rather, improved store efficiency and a more personalized customer journey are among the sources of the increased sales revenue.
Saving retail space with mobile self-checkout
Based on floor plans of European retailers, the space requirements for an average checkout zone, including three cash desks, are about 50m². With a mobile self-checkout solution in place, the space requirements for the POS are much lower, which is especially important in retail stores with limited space. Thus, Scan & Go enables businesses to maximize their store capacities and utilise the additional space as valuable sales areas.
Improving employee efficiency
Since with mobile self-checkout solutions the required employee support is much lower as well, the retail staff is free to focus on other services, such as better customer support, or be redeployed to other tasks and functions in the store.
Alternatively, the number of employees can simply be reduced, thus reducing labor costs for the retailer.
Increasing sales revenue through in-store analytics
When it comes to collecting customer data, online shops used to have a leading edge. Being able to use information about previous purchases, search history, current basket content, or social media activity certainly allows for a much more accurate personalization of the customer journey.
However, thanks to new technologies, brick-and-mortar stores now have the chance to catch up on this advantage. Mobile self-checkout systems provide in-store analytics that give insight into customers’ shopping behavior and thus open up a number of opportunities for merchants to increase sales revenue.
To make the most of the big data available, retailers need to collect a variety of KPIs from three primary sources of information:
- Point-of-sale (POS) data
- In-store path data
- User-generated content
Thus, the customer’s purchasing behavior can be tracked, evaluated, and used to provide precise personalized recommendations, as well as sales forecasting. Sales approaches such as cross- and up-selling also become much more accessible since shoppers use their own smartphones and thus can see suggestions in real time.
Compliance with COVID-19 measures
The key measures in keeping COVID-19 – or any pandemic, for that matter – at bay, are social distancing and hygiene. Here, mobile self-checkout systems once more turn out to be an important advantage, as they allow retailers to comply with health regulations while still keeping sales revenues up.
From a health aspect, some of the most important benefits of Scan & Go are
- little to no interaction with employees,
- keeping a safe distance from other shoppers, as there is no need to queue,
- a sense of security for customers, as they are the only ones handling their baskets,
- eliminating the risk of transmitting diseases via in-store hardware when using mobile self-checkout.
Making the most of all the benefits mobile self-checkout technologies offer, it is fair to say that retailers today have the chance of combining best practices from online shopping and traditional retail – thus creating a new and advanced customer journey along the way.