Innovation of the Week is a subscriber-only series highlighting retail initiatives that have caught the eye of our team. Every week, we will bring you new ideas and case studies that link to the trends in our Retail Horizon 2024 reports – across consumer, technology, sustainability, and economy, policy and industry.

What is it?

Sainsbury’s is upgrading its checkout technology to speed up and personalise the self-checkout experience for customers and provide real-time data and insight to store staff to improve productivity.

The cloud-based NCR Voyix solution removes friction by allowing colleagues to approve transactions remotely by tablet. At the same time, an AI recommendation engine will deliver personalised promotions uniquely tailored to each customer.

Store staff will benefit from access to real-time data and analytics, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) for sales analysis, estimating future store performance, colleague productivity and cash management. 

The NCR Voyix commerce platform, point-of-sale solutions and Next Generation self-checkout systems will be upgraded at 22,500 checkouts across Sainsbury’s supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.

Why does it matter?

Removing friction from the customer journey will increase convenience for customers, particularly improvements to self-checkouts which are often a pain point in store. 

“Our commitment to unbeatable quality food and great service, whether in store or online, is strengthened by NCR Voyix technology… This is driving us to the next level and delivers for customers, colleagues and shareholders”

Clodagh Moriarty, chief retail and technology director, Sainsbury’s 

Strategic implications

Personalising and improving the customer experience remains a key driver of loyalty for retailers, in addition to leveraging real-time data for in-store productivity. Expect more investment in new innovations and initiatives.

Winning strategies

  • Focus on operational efficiency
  • AI for improved productivity and engagement

Retail Horizon 2024 is Retail Week’s exclusive strategic toolkit for subscribers. 

Across four in-depth reports, Retail Week research director Lisa Byfield-Green and our team of analysts explore the most significant trends that will shape the sector in the year ahead across consumer, technology, sustainability, and industry, economy and policy. 

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