Praktiker Bau-und Heimwerkermaerkte AG has introduced NCR's FastLane at its store in Saarbruecken, Germany, becoming Europe's first do-it-yourself chain to offer self-checkout to its customers.
The FastLane self-checkout will also be installed at Praktiker stores in Trier and Hildesheim, Germany, this spring, with stores in Greece, Luxembourg and Hungary to follow later in the year, according to a news release.
One of the leading home improvement chains in Europe, Praktiker is a division of the METRO Group. METRO has already installed more than 150 NCR FastLane units in Germany at its Real hypermarkets and Extra supermarkets.
More than 50 retailers in 12 countries in Europe, North America and Asia have installed NCR FastLane.
"Retailers, as well as consumers, have quickly become aware that self-checkout improves customer service, as confirmed by a recent study conducted for NCR by IDC," said Alberto Camuri, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "We are pleased that customers in DIY stores can now take advantage of this option."
