Use of self checkout lanes increasing

Saving time is the number one factor the average consumer tries out self checkout lanes. This from an extremely in depth article by Joyce Smith in The Kansas City Star on self checkout lanes, which is a must read for all marketers and retailers. The concept has been around for quite some time now, but has had only limited success, at specific stores where the customers are attuned to trying out new technology. While the actual process is simple enough, consumers, especially women hesitate using it because it looks complicated and also as it could be embarrassing if you held up the line while trying to figure it out. The concept of self check is not just limited to retail stores, you can now buy movie tickets, check out library books, rent movies, check in at hotels, pick up tickets at the airport, all without any help from a customer service person.

Americans spent more than $110 billion at self-checkout lanes in 2005, up nearly 35 percent from 2004, according to the IHL Consulting Group, a retail and hospitality consulting company based in Franklin, Tenn.

Experts estimate that anywhere from 20 percent to 50 percent of the daily transaction volume and 15 percent to 35 percent of the daily dollar volume of some retail stores is being handled by self-checkout machines. In its 2006 survey, IHL found that 94 percent of respondents will use self-checkout, even if they don’t necessarily like it.