Put your shoppers

in the driver’s seat

with self-checkout

Retail customers, the world over, all want the same things from their in-store shopping experiences – convenience, choice, flexibility and accessibility.

One way to meet these expectations is through the self-checkout, where customers can scan the items they’d like to purchase at a self-service checkout terminal in store, bag them, swipe their card or insert cash to pay, and then go. Easy in and out – especially if they’re shopping for just a few items.

Altron Bytes Managed Solutions (Altron Bytes MS), in partnership with leading global OEM’s, is at the forefront of self-checkout technology, having investigated the market for over 5 years already through extensive research, surveys, stats from abroad, as well as the implementation of successful pilot programs in SA.

Altron Bytes MS is poised to help retailers join the self-checkout evolution…

Self-checkout converges the physical and digital

to reimagine the retail experience.

The benefits of self-checkout

• Self-checkout improves the shopping experience by making more checkouts available more of the time, thereby giving consumers the power to pay for their purchases more quickly.

• Shorter lines, greater privacy, greater control and more choice make consumers happier and more loyal to your brand.

• Retailers can deliver higher levels of service with the addition of self-checkout lanes, as employees can be redeployed from their front-end checkout duties to provide services elsewhere within the store.

• Self-checkout is available in multiple configurations to suit your retail format and ensure a consistent look and feel that extends your brand. It can also seamlessly integrate with your existing systems.

• There are no demographic boundaries with self-checkout. All shoppers benefit equally from choosing self-service, no matter their age or tech-savviness, thanks to a user-friendly interface that intelligently guides the customer through the entire checkout process. Furthermore, shoppers new to self-checkout, or those needing a bit more help, will have access to an attendant who oversees the checkout lanes, monitors the transactions and can address any situation that may arise.

• A number of psychological and physical theft deterrents are included in self-checkout technology to ensure accuracy and protect against shrinkage, including an integrated security scale, a sophisticated self-learning and adjusting weight database, intervention lights and sounds, as well as attendant-monitoring tools. Money management is also made easier, as daily till takings always tally up.

• Transactions involving legislated items, such as alcohol, cannot be finalized at a self-service checkout until they have been authorized by the on-duty attendant or supervisor.

• Research shows that consumers are more likely to do repeat business with a retailer that provides self-checkout technology.

Self-checkout puts customers

in control of their shopping

transaction from start to

finish and greatly enhances

the shopping experience.

Dispelling the myths

Myth 1: Self-checkout will result in job losses and the end of customer serviceUndoubtedly, the elephant in the room when it comes to a broad-scale implementation of self-service checkouts in local retail stores is the perceived impact it will have on jobs. What will happen to the friendly cashier or the packer at the till if customers begin scanning and bagging items themselves? Surely jobs will be lost?

If anything, self-checkout provides retailers with the opportunity to upskill and redeploy their employees from front-end checkout duties to provide services elsewhere within the store; be it to answer in-aisle questions, maintain and replenish inventory and, above all, assist customers.

With self-checkout, customer service – in fact, the entire customer experience – can be redefined and enhanced to help increase customer satisfaction and encourage customer loyalty. We’re talking a total shift in service philosophy and transforming the end-to-end shopping experience.

Myth 2: I don’t have space in my front-end for self-checkoutsOn the contrary, while floor spaces can vary, most stores are similar in their front-end design. As such, it’s been established that retailers can fit four to six self-checkout lanes in a space normally reserved for three cashier-attended checkouts. And depending on the needs and demographics of the store’s customers in terms of cash-and-card and/or card-only transactions, some units can be installed on a wall, countertop or even as a pedestal mount.

The ideal model – and one that would probably best suit local retailers – could encompass a combination of self-checkout lanes for your small to medium basket customers with the traditional cashier-manned tills reserved for trolleys, all on offer in one store.

Myth 3: My customers would never use it Self-checkout is already the norm in Europe and the US retail markets, having been introduced to customers there over two decades ago. In fact, these customers are already beginning to evolve beyond the traditional self-checkout model.

South African banking customers have already accepted financial self-service solutions for more routine transactions and are displaying a demand for this kind of convenience when they do their daily grocery shop too. They no longer want to wait in long queues. They want to have more choice and more control over their shopping journey.

Myth 4: My store is too small for self-checkout Self-checkout tends to be associated with high-volume stores, but this doesn’t make self-checkout relevant only to that specific environment. Truth is, no store is too small to provide the exceptional customer service that self-checkout lanes offer. So don’t let the idea that your store sees less traffic distract from your goal of offering your shoppers more!

Myth 5: Self-checkout will mean more shrinkage and lessened securityWith integrated features such as a security scale, a sophisticated self-learning and adjusting weight database, intervention lights and sounds, strategic store camera placement and attendant-monitoring tools, to name a few, retailers that use self-checkout technology often report reduced shrinkage. Money management is made easier too, as daily ‘till takings’ always tally up. Furthermore, transactions involving legislated items, such as alcohol, cannot be finalized at a self-service checkout until they have been authorized by the on-duty attendant or supervisor.

Self-checkout is not

there to replace the

current point of sale

– it is there to offer an

alternative channel for

the customer. It’s about

having a choice and

being in control.

Self-checkout: the key features

• Flexible

• Customisable

• Intuitive user interface

• Seamless POS integration

• Extensive security

• Full tender options

• Multiple language support

• Integrated scale for produce (optional)

• Integrated EAS tag deactivation (optional)

• Optional wired or wireless handheld scanner

• Security scale for weight verification

• Audio and visual prompts alert shopper and attendant of error

• Compatible with most industry-standard payment devices

• Coupon collection bin with document sensor

• Energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs

• Technical support 24/7/365

• Help desk with remote monitoring/diagnostics and support available

• Project management, deployment, business consulting and installation services – all available through Bytes MS

SCAN PACK PAY

We are committed to helping

our customers bridge the

digital and physical worlds,

creating the seamless retail

journeys consumers crave.

Omnichannel – the password to retail success

Altron Bytes MS has the industry experience and solutions range to help you build a cohesive retail ‘ecosystem’ that delivers a true omnichannel experience.

Our solutions encompass software, hardware, services and expert consultation to almost every kind of retail business, including food, drug and mass merchandise, department and specialty retail, as well as wholesale distribution.

Whether you are the CIO of a multinational corporation, opening your first store, or anywhere in between, with Altron Bytes MS you can:

• Offer your shoppers superior anytime, anywhere retail experiences.

• Get to know your shoppers through their mobile, online and in-store behaviours.

• Talk to shoppers online or on mobile devices before, after and during their visits with you.

• Adapt quickly so products are there for customers when (and where) they want them.

• Stay up to date with accurate data on customer trends, preferences and expectations.

• Increase efficiency from warehouse to storefront.

Enhancing the

customer experience

Self-checkout...

Experience a new world

of interaction

Why Altron Bytes Managed Solutions

Altron Bytes MS is a services led, software driven and hardware enabled organisation that market, support and maintain enterprise-wide, end-to-end digital solutions and related services. We enable medium to large enterprises to effectively deliver their offering to end consumers in South Africa and Africa. Altron Bytes MS leverages on partnerships, thought leadership and capabilities to deliver best-in-class integrated technology solutions through a strategic and focused approach enabling our customers to achieve their growth and success.

Our more than 1 250 employees operate out of more than 110 service points and 23 PCI compliant warehouse locations throughout southern Africa. We support in excess of 1 200 000 devices in more than 46 500 locations throughout South Africa and Africa.

Altron Bytes Manages Solutions works across several industries.

The range of hardware and software solutions we supply is

supported by services - managed and professional - that our

customers need to address their businesses objective fully and

effectively.

Through our extensive partnerships with leading global OEM’s, we service the retail industry through the following solutions:

• Fit for pupose Point-of-Sale (POS)

• Self-Service technology:

• Self-checkout hardware and software platforms

• Self-scanning systems

• Endless aisle applications

All our leading hardware solutions are suppoted by the most secure globally advanced software solutions available, including:

• Advanced Retail Solutions (ASR)

• Enactor

• NCR Fastlane (SCO)

• NCR Netkey

Altron Bytes Managed SolutionsEmail: salesms@bytes.co.za

Tel: +27 (11) 373 4000

1 Vlak Street

Selby, Ext 5

Johannesburg, 2001

www.bytesms.co.za