What's Next For Food Retail Self-Checkout?

More affordable, often off-the-shelf technology is on the way as the offering grows in importance.

- Thad Rueter

Fast, easy and helpful — those were some of the early reviews of Walmart’s new experiment with self-checkout, an effort that could help influence the broader future of the transaction method for food retailers.

Earlier this year, the chain started to test its latest checkout method at a supercenter in Fayetteville, Ark. The layout isn’t complex. Instead of dedicated checkout lanes, there’s an open, relatively expansive self-checkout area designed to meet consumer demand as it happens.

The effort, still only a few months old, comes amid a spike in contactless transactions for food retailers, a trend that existed before the pandemic and has gained fresh steam during the outbreak. According to London-based research firm RBR, in fact, the self-checkout momentum will continue, with global installations expected to triple by 2025 to surpass 1.1 million.

Key Takeaways

• A fresh wave of innovation in self-checkout and other payment systems appears ready to hit the food retail world.
• Wegmans, Costco and large other food retailers are helping to lead the self-checkout charge, along with convenience store chains.
• Retailers should think of self-checkout as a part of the larger customer journey, and take steps to make shoppers feel confident with new technology.

A fresh wave of innovation in self-checkout — and payments in general — appears ready to hit the food retail world, where younger, tech-savvy consumers are making their desires known, and where new technology is becoming more affordable and convenient for smaller and midsize retailers.