NCR announces self-checkout trial at IKI in Baltic States

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IKI , Lithuania's second largest grocery retail chain, is to trial NCR FastLane ™ self-checkouts which enable consumers to scan, bag and pay for goods themselves in its store in Vilnius, Lithuania's largest city and capital.

 

IKI is expanding rapidly having seen a 32.25 per cent growth in turnover up to 639 million EUROS from 2006 to 2007.  Its self-checkout trial is set to begin in February and was signed with the support of NEW VISION, NCR's first NCR FastLane partner in the Baltic States.

 

The self-checkout units will be marketed as 'IKI Bee,' with onscreen branding including the company's honeybee logo.  They have been developed to accept the retailer's loyalty card 'IKI Premium' cash and card payments and highlight pricing promotions.

 

Good customer service and leading the customer's retail experience through innovation are highly important to IKI.  IKI's director general Aidas Mackevicius comments, "IKI values its customer loyalty and wants to do everything in its power to reduce queues at the checkouts.  Self-checkout will change the way people shop in Lithuania whilst giving IKI a key service differentiator."

 

NCR FastLane can double the number of service points within the same footprint as traditional manned checkouts.  As only one attendant is required to look after multiple self-checkouts, staff are able to help retailers improve customer service levels by assuring on-shelf availability of merchandise and providing product advice.  In addition, the technology provides a useful tool to address the challenge of staffing in areas of low employment.

 

"The first self-checkout trial in Lithuania with IKI is part of NCR's aggressive expansion into Eastern Europe.  NCR FastLane has already been deployed by Europe's top 20 retailers, and interest in self-checkout among retailers in Eastern Europe is high as they face staff shortages due to migration," said Alessandro Santalucia, Indirect Sales Director of NCR's Retail Solutions in Europe.   

 

"IKI is a very exciting, innovative retailer.  They are at the forefront of the Lithuania market and their trial of self-checkout is part of their continuous investment in improving customer service and choice.  I expect that IKI's customers will really take to self-checkout as their counterparts in other parts of Europe have," concludes Santalucia.

 

The deployment of self-checkouts by IKI is one of a series of 'firsts' that the innovative retailer has introduced into the Baltic market.  IKI was the first retailer in Lithuania to dual-price its products in Euros and Lithuanian Litas and to offer customers the choice of paper or plastic bags.  It is also well known for introducing a wide range of new products in the fresh fish, French wines and in-store bakery categories.

 

Sourced From: Perfect Relations Limited