Exec Sees More Self-Checkout Sales at Slower Stores

At nine stores operated by Balls Food Stores, between 9% and 19% of sales dollars are processed through self-checkout lanes, depending on the overall sales volume of the store, said Barb Ramsour, director of information systems for the 29-store, dual-banner chain.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — At nine stores operated by Balls Food Stores here, between 9% and 19% of sales dollars are processed through self-checkout lanes, depending on the overall sales volume of the store, said Barb Ramsour, director of information systems for the 29-store, dual-banner chain. Ramsour spoke about Balls’ self-checkout program yesterday in an SN-hosted webinar, “How Self-Service Is Transforming Retail,” sponsored by NCR.

“We see a lower percentage of self-checkout sales in our busier, higher-volume stores,” she said. “In our slower stores, more challenged to meet labor budgets, we see a higher percentage of self-checkout sales.”

Self-checkout orders tend to be smaller, with four to six items, though Ramsour said she saw larger baskets going through self-checkout lanes “if customers are not in a hurry.” Those customers “like to see the price on each item scanned,” she added.