Kroger's Advantage Checkout system has been named as the most innovative retail technology for 2010, according to Planet Retail. The international retail intelligence company added that Kroger were the first retailer to design such automated tunnel scanning technology and test it in a sales environment. The system was unveiled at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York last week.
Thanks to optical technology and conveyors that move twice as fast as an existing line, Kroger’s system can scan more than double the quantity of items in the same amount of time. The new system uses the same amount of space as a traditional conveyor while cutting out the need for manpower. It has been suggested that Kroger will try and sell their fasttrack checkout system to other retailers.
Testing of the scanning and checkout technology began at Kroger's Marketplace store in Hebron last spring. The new system won't be launched in stores until further testing is carried out to determine the best orientation for it in a store and the best model for staffing it. Kroger is in the process of securing a patent for the new technology. (19 Jan)
© 2011 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine
