SELF-SERVICE checkouts have come to Progressive Enterprises’ stores.
The first have gone into the new Countdown in Auckland’s Quay Street, which used to be a Foodtown until converted last year.
The success of this first installation will be assessed in early 2010 to determine the rollout to other stores in future.
Store manager Andrew Cox, who moved to Quay Street from Countdown Lynfield in early December – coinciding with when the new checkouts went in - said by the time they had been in store six weeks, around 30% of customers were using them.
Six tills have been installed, the space provided by the removal of just two ergo checkouts – normal full-size checkouts.
Cox said they had waited before installing the checkouts:
Firstly, to make sure all the bugs had been ironed out of the equipment by Woolworths in Australia, where the checkouts have been in use for some time; and
Secondly, because software had to be developed to recognise Onecard users.
“We have a high number of express customers, which is one of the main reasons that it made sense to introduce the self-service checkouts here,” said Cox.
“It has been very smooth since they were installed, and they are extremely efficient. A supervisor keeps an eye on the self-serve checkouts while also handling liquor sale approvals for other checkouts, but in peak times there is a supervisor for each bank of three.”
Cox has been a store manager for eight years, but has worked in the industry for 20.
