Speedy Checkout

Speedy Checkout

December 2022   minute read

Convenience stores have been said to sell time, not just products and services due in large part to their favorable locations and small, easy-to-navigate footprints offering a quick in-and-out shop. In fact, 32% of shoppers surveyed by NACS indicated quick service as the second most important attribute of a positive customer experience, according to preliminary results from the 2022 NACS Convenience Voices mobile study (look for coverage in January).

When traditional cashiers and self-checkout options are both available, 41% of shoppers prefer a cashier, preliminary survey results indicate. However, 52% of the shoppers who indicated a preference for cashiers reported they would use self-checkout if the line were shorter. One third (33%) indicated a preference for self-checkout, while 25% were indifferent, favoring the option with the shortest line.

Among the 32% of shoppers who said they preferred cashiers, the main reason cited was because the line moved faster than self-checkout. Still, 63% of shoppers who said they favored self-checkout also reported that it’s a faster method of payment. Checkout speed was the main reason shoppers cited in preferring both self-checkout and traditional options with cashiers, suggesting that customers viewed their checkout choice as faster, regardless of whether reality matched their perception.

Besides perceived time savings, 29% of shoppers who preferred cashiers indicated it was because they intended to buy multiple items. The concern about larger baskets creating bottlenecks at self-checkout is something retailers are working to address with technology.

NACS CONVENIENCE VOICES 

NACS Convenience Voices is packed with valuable, proprietary insights you can only get from NACS. Leveraging the ubiquity of mobile technology enables more precise targeting, expanded geographic reporting, powerful multimedia feedback and more. Visit www.convenience.org/voices to learn how to participate.