In this session, Asda, IKEA, Metro and Waitrose all provided updates on how they were conducting "audits" on their customers to check the accuracy of their scanning when using either the self-checkout machines or the Scan & Go scanners. The audits conducted by the SCO hosts were either a check of the whole basket or an audit of just a few items. Consistent with the findings in the ECR report, there was a substantial difference the error rate found in partial audits (2-3%) than the full basket audit (25-50%) with the extent of the losses on the full basket checks equivalent to 9% of the total basket.

Despite these results, and in the discussion that followed, it was clear that for the vast majority of retailers on this call (there were 144 participants representing 60+ retailers) there was a low appetite to make significant changes to their current auditing procedures, preferring that those in charge of managing the losses focus on enhancing customer service via the SCO hosts, to fine tuning their trust level controls and to explore technology solutions.

In his concluding remarks, Professor Beck talked to the importance for the group to get clarity in their business on the purpose of the audits. Are they to deter and encourage more accurate scanning, or are they to recover items not scanned? His point was that each choice will command and require a different strategy.

This was the first session of the year for the self-checkout working group. If you would like to be part of this self checkout working group, and want to register for this or the other future sessions, please click here.

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