Self-checkout became more popular for in-store shopping during the height of the pandemic as many consumers wanted to scan and bag their own items, as well as to avoid checkout lines. Different forms of self-checkout continue to grow including mobile apps to scan and pay, as well as various autonomous checkout versions, such as Amazon Go stores.
Now southwestern U.S. C-store operator, Delek, is partnering with tech developer, Mashgin, on a self-checkout station. Shoppers place items on the tray for the AI-based system to quickly recognize and price the merchandise. Customers then pay via an adjacent POS terminal. This system will work well with small basket items and quick-stop shopping which makes C-stores an ideal target market.
The following excerpt from a CStore Decisions article reports more on the topic:
Delek US Holdings has selected Mashgin to provide frictionless, AI-powered self-checkout technology to 70-plus Delek convenience stores across Texas in by late summer 2021.
Delek customers will be able to walk in, select the items they want, place them on the Mashgin kiosk tray and have all items instantly recognized and simultaneously totaled in less than half a second — without the need to look for and scan barcodes. Customers use mobile pay, credit or debit card to complete their transaction with Mashgin (without touching anything but their purchase and form of payment), and can be on their way in as little as 10 seconds.
“The Mashgin touchless experience in Delek’s DK stores truly supports our mantra of ‘Making Your Day A Little Easier.’ This mantra is prominent on the front signage of all of our new and reimagined stores as a commitment to our brand promise,” said Tony Miller, executive vice president, Delek US. “Mashgin’s autonomous self-checkout is 300% faster, frictionless, and social distance-friendly. Mashgin is the first initiative of a comprehensive innovation strategy Delek is employing to create a unique shopping experience for its customers.”
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group