Many of supermarkets’ customers in Europe are now accustomed to scanning and checking out their own purchases without help, thanks to the widespread usage of self-checkouts in European supermarkets.
Self-checkouts are an easy, effective, and space-saving option that benefits both businesses and customers.
Currently, self-checkout is firmly on the rise as a means of reducing lengthy lines, easing customer concerns about time spent, and freeing store personnel from the front of the store, especially after the pandemic-driven demand for shopping choices with less touch.
Since the epidemic began, a handful of supermarkets, notably in Europe, have increased the number of self-checkout lanes. Retailers such as Carrefour and Auchan have even tried out experimental stores with only self-checkout lanes.
Carrefour, has also entered the field of AI-assisted shopping. The French giant has introduced its own smart checkout system, which tracks what customers have taken from the shelves using a similar system of cameras and scanners. A Carrefour City+ at the Mall of the Emirates used the technology as a test site before the first Carrefour “Flash 10/10” concept shop opened in Paris last year.
Carrefour released its 2026 digital retail business plan in November 2021. By allocating a budget of almost USD 3.57 billion for digital solutions between 2022 and 2026, this policy seeks to raise spending on them by up to 50%.
On the other hand, German retailers are shifting shyly to the new SCO methods depending on their customers’ feedback about the check-out experience and implementing this technology gradually in their stores since many shoppers prefer the classic way to protect their privacy.
Edeka, which permits independent retailers to operate under its brand as franchisees, said that approach prevented it from being able to offer precise quantities of SCOs at its locations. However, it asserts that it is evident that the increasing use of them in its stores is a result of client demand. An SCO test project is now being carried out by Netto, a division of Edeka, in about 30 cities, and it “has been quite positively accepted by clients.”
According to a Schwarz Group spokeswoman, which also owns Lidl and Kaufland, the retailer has been using SCOs at a few of its locations over the past five years and intends to utilise them more widely as a consequence of favourable consumer response.
The future of self-checkout in Europe
Data demonstrating the widespread use of SCOs among European consumers when they are made available shows they will ultimately find their way into the everyday shopping experience.
It is simply a matter of time and the variety of uses until many consumers develop a learned habit of using SCO. That can only be good news for those who were annoyed by their 10-minute delays to pay for their purchases