Innovation of the Week: Sainsbury’s is testing hybrid self-checkouts and digital screens in store

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Innovation of the Week is a series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our team. Every week, we will bring you new ideas and case studies across consumer, technology, sustainability, economy, policy and industry.

Sainsbury-employee-with-headset-talking-to-customer-in-store

What is it?

Sainsbury’s is piloting advanced technology in some of its stores, including a “completely new generation” of hybrid self-checkouts and new digital touchscreens.

As part of the supermarkets plan to elevate the future of its stores, hybrid self-checkouts are being trialled in Cobham and Witney that feature conveyor belts for customers to load their shopping onto, but with their own self-scan systems.

Digital touchscreens have also been introduced in aisles, enabling shoppers to search the location of specific products in that store and receive advice on recipes or health and beauty items.

Other tech such as the expansion of digital media display screens and shelf weight sensors are also being tested. The latter notifies staff if there is a sudden weight change in products on the shelves.

Why does it matter?

The new initiatives first reported by The Grocer are being trialled in two supermarkets to increase the number of bigger shops in-store and the larger hybrid self-checkouts aim to make this easier for customers.

The goal is to create a more efficient shopping experience, offer more choice for customers when checking out, and hopefully lead to more sales and customer loyalty.

Strategic implications

Sainsbury’s has been leveraging tech across its operations in recent months, and the new trial is part of the supermarkets “next-level” strategy that was introduced earlier this year.

So far this year, the supermarket chain has upgraded its self-checkout technology to become more personalised, embarked on a partnership with enterprise software group SAP to consolidate its legacy systems and is boosting AI capabilities with Microsoft.

“We are always exploring new ways to offer our customers the best possible choice and convenience. Our trial in Cobham and Witney is the latest example of that and we are listening to colleague and customer feedback.” – A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said.