Belgian Colruyt Group has started to equip stores of its Okay, Okay Compact and Spar Colruyt Group banners with self-checkout systems. The retailer is purchasing the devices from Toshiba, configured to the retail group’s own specifications. The design of the self-checkouts, which Toshiba sells in a similar design as the ‘TCx Smart Wing’ product in Europe, comes from Dutch specialist Pan Oston. The devices for Colruyt are also produced by Pan Oston, which also counts dm, Albert Heijn, Action, Hema and Poco as customers.
Colruyt only allows card payments at the devices. In principle, the sleek design of the devices, which Pan Oston also offers as part of its ‘Slim Balance’ product line, is also ideally suited for integrating cash recyclers.
Colruyt had already tested the system in its Cru and Okay Direct banner operations. Unlike in these tests, Colruyt is now avoiding exit barriers behind the self-checkout area. Instead, the retail company wants to ensure that an employee is always available exclusively for the self-service checkout. The first installation based on the new principle went into operation at the beginning of this week in the Okay store in Hoegaarden in the province of Flemish Brabant.
Roll-out to all stores in 2025
The food retailer plans to equip ten locations with self-checkout systems this year. In addition to Hoegaarden, Okay supermarkets in Pepingen, Rebecq and Fleurus, Okay Compact neighbourhood stores in Antwerp, on Brussels’ Anneessensplein and Spar stores in Mouscron and Mechelen will also be equipped with the new technology. The retailer is also equipping its own canteens with SCOs. The roll-out for the remaining locations is scheduled for the beginning of next year.
Colruyt customers will still be able to pay at manned checkouts. Colruyt traditionally handles these quite differently than other retail companies: the cashiers move the goods from one shopping cart to another while scanning them, saving customers the hassle of having to unload and reload.
Solution for smaller baskets
The company is therefore introducing the self-checkouts primarily for customers with small shopping baskets who want to scan and pay for their purchases quickly and easily. It is not possible to pay by cash at the systems. A scanner scale is integrated for the sale of loose products.
