Lidl is also adopting the new self-checkouts featuring a large, portrait-oriented display and an overhead camera, which Kaufland is currently rolling out across Germany. This was reported by Supermarktblog today, which has allowed The Retail Optimiser to publish its photos from a Lidl store in north-east Berlin. The Retail Optimiser reported earlier this week on the roll-out of the new generation of self-checkouts at Kaufland in Germany.
In the store visited by Supermarktblog, Lidl also surprises with the ratio of self-checkouts to manned tills: 12 self-checkouts now occupy the space previously taken up by the manned checkouts. At the very edge, where the self-checkouts used to be, there are now only two manned tills, reports Supermarktblog.
The design of the new generation of self-checkouts, which is now also being introduced at Lidl, was developed by Schwarz IT in collaboration with Kaufland. Itab manufactures the devices for Kaufland in Germany and, alongside 4POS, is also one of Lidl’s self-checkout suppliers.
One cash recycler for two self-checkouts
As The Retail Optimiser reported, Glory cash recyclers are being used at Kaufland for the first time in such a way that one of these devices serves two self-checkouts. It is very likely that Lidl will do the same in future – even though, at the store in north-east Berlin visited by Supermarktblog, only card payments are possible at the self-checkouts and no cash recyclers have been installed.
The POS hardware in and on the machines is essentially the same as that used at the manned checkouts. Lidl relies on two suppliers here: Diebold Nixdorf and 4POS. In Germany, Lidl branches are supplied by either one or the other of these two technology providers, whilst the 30 other European markets are supplied by either Diebold Nixdorf or 4POS.
Vision Recognition-Ready
With the permanently installed overhead cameras, the machines are ideally prepared for the use of a vision recognition solution. The key question of which solution the Schwarz Group will now opt for, or whether it will even be an in-house development, still seems not quite decided. Lidl’s software partner, GK, certainly has one of the leading solutions in its portfolio following the acquisition of Nomitri in January 2025. However, one of Kaufland and Lidl’s hardware partners, Itab, has also strengthened its position with such a solution through the acquisition of Signatrix in March last year.
In answer to a question from The Retail Optimiser, Kaufland officially stated this week that no vision recognition solution to combat theft would be used during the roll-out of self-checkouts in Germany. It is currently unclear whether Schwarz IT needs more time to integrate the appropriate solution into the roll-out – or whether the group is shying away from any reporting on the matter due to the sensitivity of the issue of theft. What is known, however, is that all existing solutions in this field are being or have been put through their paces in Schwarz IT’s laboratories, that Schwarz IT is also developing its own solutions of this kind, and that tests with various software are also underway in Lidl and Kaufland stores.
Live feed as a deterrent
To deter fraudsters, Lidl continuously displays the live feed from the overhead camera on the upper part of the large screen at the branch in north-east Berlin visited by Supermarktblog. Kaufland, on the other hand, uses this space – at least in the photos provided by the press office this week – to promote its customer loyalty programme.
Parts of the branded goods industry are likely to be delighted that Lidl has firmly integrated impulse-buy items into the new design. In contrast, Kaufland’s new self-checkouts are free of goods that customers rarely plan to buy. At least on the machines of which Kaufland released images this week, no impulse-buy items are to be seen.
