Ikea Global Kiosk Project

Versione stampabile

Ikea roll out their self-service checkout solution globally.
 
Home furnishing giant Ikea has begun to introduce self-service checkouts across all its stores worldwide. Self-service has always been an important part of the Ikea concept, but, until recently, payment has been one of the few things in Ikea stores that customers could not do themselves.
 
The vision of the project is to minimise queues and reduce waiting times for customers at the checkout while at the same time increasing efficiency. Self-service checkouts enable their customers to scan and pay for their products themselves, which is in line with the Ikea concept of ‘we do our part, you do your part, and together we save money’.
 
The kiosks support the easy buying process by increasing the speed of service and reducing waiting time for customers at the checkout. The Ikea Warrington, UK store was one of the first to have self-service checkouts, and, during the first couple of weeks of implementation, a customer survey was conducted. The results, based on feedback from 382 customers, found that 90% of customers who used the self-service checkouts said they were easy to operate, and 85% thought they were quicker than the manned checkouts.
 
The goal for traditional checkouts at Ikea today is to have one customer paying and up to three waiting; for the self-service checkouts the goal is four paying and one waiting. This gives increasing flexibility to customers, as they have the choice to pay themselves with less waiting time or pay at a traditional checkout with the support of a cashier. This improves both efficiency and customer satisfaction in the checkout area.
 
Ikea stores can fit more self-service checkouts than traditional checkouts in the checkout area. Four self-service checkouts replace two lanes in the same area, making it possible to support twice as many customers. Each unit of four self-serve checkouts is manned by one attendant, compared to one cashier working in one traditional checkout. The attendants are able to assist, meet customer needs and host customers. Each self-service checkout only accepts electronic card payments and is limited to 15 items to increase service time and reduce the risk of theft.
 
The self-service checkouts are covered by four areas of security. Camera surveillance covers the self-service checkouts and there is a queue monitor camera which can be seen by the customer. Besides capturing any thefts on tape, the camera makes customers aware that they are being observed. There is an on-screen message to inform customers that ‘to improve our service to you, all purchases are monitored and random spot checks are performed’. Card payment transactions are automatically authorised online. Attendant interventions can take place for certain activities, such as voiding an item.
 
After going out to tender, a company called Elecomm was chosen as the preferred contractor for the store installations. Ikea based this decision on price, experience and the large portfolio of work Elecomm have already completed for Ikea.
 
The self-service checkouts have already been implemented in eight stores in the UK including Glasgow, Belfast, Warrington, Wednesbury (Birmingham), Leeds, Nottingham, Lakeside and the latest store Manchester.
 
Each store is looked at individually, and presented with the concept of the self-service checkout. The store then makes the decision as to when and what numbers will be implemented, and the equipment is ordered and ready to install within just 12 weeks. The installation takes places during the night to avoid disruption to customers and is completed within one day, in time for customers to use when the stores open.
 
The successful implementation of the self-service checkouts relies on all the checkout workers understanding and adopting the new way of working. Ikea ensures the purpose and benefits of the new express checkouts are clearly communicated throughout the organisation. In a survey, 75% of trained attendants said they preferred working on express checkouts and 90% said they would like to spend between 50% and 100% of their time on the express checkouts. With these figures, it is clear that the self-service checkouts have been well-accepted by the staff.
 
Ann Pendlebury, Ikea Cash office coordinator, customer relations commented: “Express checkouts fit in so well with the Ikea concept. Not only can you choose the products by yourself and pick up the goods you need by yourself, now you can also checkout and pay by yourself and then go home satisfied!”