ATLANTA, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Shorter lines and greater speed are the biggest advantages of self-checkout -- the machines that allow you to scan, bag and pay for your purchases -- according to a survey conducted for NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR). Most people believe they could scan their groceries as fast or faster than cashiers, indicating shoppers this holiday season may be ready to embrace the technologies that are reshaping the retail environment.
"The closer we get to the holidays, the longer the lines become," said Joanne Walter, vice president, future retailing solutions, NCR. "As self-checkout becomes more pervasive, shoppers will increasingly have the option to scan their own items instead of standing in line."
Respondents see shorter lines (36 percent) and greater speed (32 percent) as the major advantages of self-checkout. Interestingly, 10 percent of respondents indicated privacy as the most important advantage.
"Self-checkout enables shoppers to purchase items without being confronted by a cashier," said Walter. "Especially during the holidays, when we all want to look and feel our best, items such as hair color or diet aids may be best kept to oneself."
Despite its recent introduction, self-checkout technology already appears to have had a significant impact on store loyalty. Among respondents, 33 percent indicated they would be more likely to frequent a store that offered self-checkout.
"Self-checkout gives people a choice. It is designed to supplement, not replace human cashiers," Walter said. "Retailers who embrace this technology will be able to more effectively deploy their cashiers to better serve their customers."
Nearly half of the respondents (46 percent) said they have used a self- checkout machine. Of those who have, about half (24 percent of the total) say they either use them regularly or would use them again, while slightly more than half (26 percent of the total) say they still prefer cashiers.
"This suggests the importance of incorporating a machine that is intuitive and simple to use," Walter observed. "It's equally important to walk shoppers through the self-checkout machines when they are first introduced in the store."
First in line may be those notorious for their aversion to shopping. Men expressed a greater preference for self-checkout (34 percent) than their female counterparts (25 percent). Perhaps reflecting their experience of standing in line with children, two-thirds (66 percent) of parents were confident they could scan their purchases as fast or faster than store clerks.
The survey, by Opinion Research Corporation International, sampled 1010 adults, consisting of 505 men and 505 women, 18 years of age or older, living in private households in the United States from September 28-October 1, 2000.
About NCR Corporation
NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR) is a US$6.2 billion leader in providing Relationship Technology(TM) solutions to customers worldwide in the retail, financial, communications, travel and transportation, and insurance markets. NCR's Relationship Technology solutions include privacy-enabled Teradata(R) warehouses and customer relationship management (CRM) applications, store automation and automated teller machines (ATMs). The company's business solutions are built on the foundation of its long-established industry knowledge and consulting expertise, value-adding software, global customer support services, a complete line of consumable and media products, and leading edge hardware technology. NCR employs 31,900 in 130 countries, and is a component stock of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. More information about NCR and its solutions may be found at www.ncr.com .
NCR and Teradata are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCR Corporation in the United States and other countries. SOURCE NCR Corporation
CONTACT: Caroline Leigh of NCR Corporation, 770-623-7608, or caroline.leigh@ncr.com/
