This is the first post in a blog series that discusses good and bad self-service solutions. If you have noticed an interesting self-service solution—whether neutral, good, or bad—feel free to leave a comment below or contact us. We would like to evaluate and discuss it here.
In this post, we talk about the leading Baltic retailer—Rimi Baltic. It was the first in the Baltic states to introduce self-service scanners at its stores. This means that customers scan all products themselves as they shop instead of checking out through cashiers.
How does it work?
You can watch the video below for details, but here are the basic steps:
- Activate a scanner by tapping a loyalty card at the sensor shelf
- Scan each product while shopping
- Leave the scanner near the exit
- Tap the loyalty card again in the self-checkout area
- Pay with a credit card
Why does this deserve Tapbox kudos?
Kudos #1 – Though most industries claim they are going mobile or contactless, adding self-service, or otherwise modernizing, for large companies, these are often just buzzwords. Rimi was the first to launch this service in the Baltics, so kudos for its bravery!
Kudos #2 – Self-service scanners will boost Rimi’s brand value and customer loyalty (read more about such benefits in this blog post). Why? This innovation saves a lot of time, and time is a valuable resource nowadays. Shoppers save time because products go right into their bags (no need to move them from shelves to basket to belt/scanner to shopping bag)—that’s it! The next time shoppers touch their products is when they return home.
Kudos #3 – It is faster and more efficient than self-checkout alone because shoppers can scan barcodes right at the shelf, simply entering the number of items taken. We all know how hard it can be to find barcodes on packaging. With self-service scanners, these are no longer needed because barcodes can be scanned from the tags on the shelf.
Kudos #4 – There are no checkout lines! Why? Because paying takes 15 seconds. Shoppers checking out are not searching for barcodes on packages or moving products from baskets to bags (this is done while shopping).
Conclusion
The self-service scanner innovation is not rocket science, nor is it especially new. But one need not reinvent the wheel to make major improvements. So, kudos to Rimi for making our lives easier! Psst—if you own a store and want to provide better service to your customers, we can help.
More about Rimi
Rimi Baltic is one of the leading retailers in Baltic States and is represented in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. They are part of ICA Gruppen – leading retail organization in the Nordic region with more than 270 stores and 12 000 employees. In Baltics they operate with five food retail store formats – Rimi Hypermarkets, Rimi Supermarkets, Mini Rimi, Express Rimi and E-commerce.
– Rimi Eesti Food with more than 80 stores (https://www.rimi.ee/)
– Rimi Latvia with more than 125 stores (https://www.rimi.lv/)
– Rimi Lietuva with more than 60 stores (https://www.rimi.lt/)
Rimi Baltic Group Headquarter office is located in Riga, Latvia
To discuss self-service solution possibilities for your business, please get in touch with us today, and one of team members will be more than happy to advise you!