By popular demand, cashiers are eliminated in Mexico supermarkets and automated

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Those businesses that have implemented this type of automation process report an 11% increase in customer visits.

In January 2018, the technology giant Amazon opened its first physical store where there were no boxes to pay thanks to the technology implemented; In Mexico, history begins to head towards that road, where large chains such as Walmart, Oxxo, Soriana, Chedraui, among others, have begun to implement self-collection boxes in their branches to streamline the payment process.

According to a Capgemini study, 60% of shoppers consider long lines to be the main problem when shopping at the store; While those businesses that have implemented this type of automation process report an 11% increase in customer visits, as well as an 11% increase in sales compared to establishments that do not have this service.

For example, Walmart, the main supermarket chain in the country, has launched various initiatives in this regard, since in its new Express format it includes self-collection boxes, the same as in Bodega Aurrerá; while Sam’s also launched its Scan & Go application, where people scan their products on their phones and pay from the device.

In an interview with Forbes Mexico, Mariano Fiscella, Vice President of Operations of the price club indicates that the evolution that retail has had throughout history when it comes to paying has changed relatively little, so his App is a way to solve friction of the partners who look for a greater speed and win a buying opportunity.

“Many members who buy at Sam’s make volume purchases, we are naturally a bulky cart business, so many times there were members who had a different purchase occasion and they told us: what happens is that I go to the club and then I only want to buy my perishables or my fruits or some, refrigerated items and I have to wait a lot in the checkout line, ”he said.

In turn, Raúl Quintanilla, Senior Vice President Bodega Aurrerá, points out the installed capacity of self-collection boxes has allowed them to improve the customer experience, in addition to that there is a trend in which new generations migrate faster and more easily to this form to pay, which generates that the diversity of clients is balancing.

“We have seen that the purchase receipt has been maintained under a self-collection system, as in the traditional way,” he says; In fact, it stands out that until last August 43 Bodegas Aurrerá have this system (of the 2,129 that the brand has) and seek to double that number by the end of 2021.

However, the cashiers and the cashiers will continue, Quintanilla exposes that by working under an omnichannel model, new business opportunities open up, for example, in-home service.

“Our associates are one of the most important pillars of our business model, therefore, together with our clients, they are always at the center of all our decisions. Each of the innovations that we make in the company we do thinking about our people, the omnichannel transformation that we are experiencing in the company, has the purpose of developing new capacities and competencies in our associates, either, in their own work area; or, in new projects ”, details the manager.

Likewise, the general director of Operations, Logistics, and Commercial of Chedraui, Arturo Vasconcelos, agrees and rules out that the ATMs disappear, since the self-collection boxes are a complement, which has had a good reception and play a role in its omnichannel strategy.

“We are working hard to make this entire checkout process as agile as possible, we already have some self-collection boxes installed in some of our stores, we believe that the client is doing very well, so it is something that we are also going to grow forward. . We have seen that there are many clients who prefer it, there is a part that is undoubtedly influenced by the fact that some of our clients prefer to have the least amount of contact with other people, another is agility ”.

In an interview, he said that they have invested a lot in their stores to make changes related to assisted checkout to make it faster, which reduces the size of the lines and makes the customer feel attended in a more agile way.

The Soriana chain also launched a pilot program for self-collection boxes last July, at its Hiper San Pedro branch, located in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, in which 20% of the transactions were already paid at these boxes.

“We have had a very good response and acceptance from our customers to this payment method, because we have a wide variety of payment methods such as cash, credit and debit card, electronic food vouchers, Mercado Pago and CoDI”, the company explained at the time.

TIENDA INTELIGENTE OXXO SMART

Meanwhile, the convenience chain Oxxo, owned by FEMSA, launched a new concept called Smart in January this year, which also included the issue of self-collection.

“At Oxxo we carry out tests and evaluations of innovative concepts that seek to satisfy the needs of our customers and improve their shopping experience. Through this methodology we have implemented Oxxo Smart, a concept that seeks to offer products and services in customizable formats to serve specific markets in spaces such as department complexes, hospitals or offices ”, the company said at the time.

Source: forbes.com.mx

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