With the second wave of COVID-19 emerging in the country, the Iki retail chain plans to install another 125 new self-service checkouts this year. By using them, buyers will be able to pay for their purchases quickly and conveniently and avoid any unnecessary physical contact. Self-service checkouts will appear in 9 Lithuanian cities and towns - Vilnius, Beautiful, Klaipėda, Mazeikiai, Druskininkai, Alytus, Šilute, Marijampole and Palanga.
"In order to enable "Iki" customers to shop quickly and to limit physical contact in our stores to a minimum, we have made a decision to significantly expand the existing network of self-service checkouts by the end of the year. Trends show that buyers willingly pay in self-service - some want to save time, others find this way of shopping more convenient, and today's realities show that it also helps to avoid unnecessary physical contact. Even 12 years ago, when we were the first in the Baltic countries to introduce them to our customers, we did not expect that a decade later, a large part of customers would not be able to imagine their shopping without them", says Linos Muižienė, executive director of the company "Palink" that manages "Iki".
According to L. Muižienė, the expected investment in the installation of self-service cash registers is 1,5 million. euros.
"We aim to make self-service checkouts available to as many residents as possible in various cities and towns of the country. And this can only be achieved by expanding their network," she says.
The number of people using self-service checkouts is growing
According to L. Muižienė, Lithuanians willingly try the method of shopping at self-service checkouts. The number of such buyers only grows every year.
"In stores where self-service cash registers are installed, approximately half - 48 percent - use them. - buyers. It is necessary to emphasize that this percentage only grows every year. Although it is often thought that self-service checkouts are typically only used by younger shoppers, people of all ages shop at them. After trying it once, they understand that it is extremely easy and convenient to pay for their purchases this way", assures L. Muižienė.
Palink's executive director adds that self-service checkouts are not only used by customers who are in a hurry and want to purchase several products. According to her, customers who purchase goods in large quantities also liked these cash registers.
