ARMONK, N.Y. – Slovenia's Mercator has successfully implemented IBM Corp. Self-Checkout solutions in its Celje, Slovenia, store to improve in-store traffic flows, speed checkout and increase customer service and loyalty.
According to a news release, the deployment is the first self-service implementation of this kind in Southeast Europe.
Mercator services 1,134 stores and restaurants in Slovenia. To optimize checkout flows and adapt to fluctuating customer numbers, the company decided to install four self-checkout systems that are combined with existing POS systems. With its open-ended Self Checkout solution, IBM has developed a configuration that accepts all baskets and carts, regardless of size.
"It was absolutely essential to make customer traffic smoother within the store by cutting down checkout waiting times and bottlenecks," said Aleksandra Kocmut from Mercator.
Mercator installed IBM systems as part of a pilot project that started last summer. It combines a standard cashier system, payment unit for payments in cash, control scales, and a touchscreen that offers complete support in the Slovenian language throughout the shopping process. The software was tuned by IBM and business partner Mikropis.
