BILLA Continues Austrian Supermarket Trend To Improve Customer Service With NCR Self-Checkouts

NCR SelfServ hardware and software reduces checkout waiting times at BILLA while processing all of the stores’ discounts and loyalty programs

Augsburg, Germany – NCR Corporation, the global leader in consumer transaction technologies, announced recently that food retailer BILLA is the latest Austrian supermarket to deploy NCR FastLane SelfServ Checkout hardware and software. Following the positive experience of its sister company MERKUR, BILLA is also offering customers the opportunity to check out at their own pace. The first stores to use the new technology are located in Singer Street in Vienna and in Stiftingtal Street in Graz. There are plans for deployment in additional supermarkets in the coming months.

BILLA is part of the REWE Group, one of the largest food retailers in Europe. As a pioneer in the Austrian market, BILLA has been providing shoppers across the country with fresh food and everyday products for 60 years. The supermarket chain is constantly reviewing its portfolio and service offerings to meet changing customer demand. Its BILLA Advantage Club offers a broad range of discounts and benefits to those customers who are members.

NCR has developed the self-checkout software that BILLA is deploying to manage these discounts and integrate coupon payments, in addition to cash and card payments. BILLA Advantage Club discounts can be processed at all check outs so that Billa’s staff and temporary workers don’t have to spend as much time familiarizing themselves with BILLA’s ever-changing promotional terms and conditions.

Using NCR self-checkouts, BILLA aims to increase the efficiency in its high volume stores, such as the location in central Vienna. Due to the store’s location near Vienna’s landmark St. Stephan’s Cathedral, the store attracts many tourists. To reduce waiting times, BILLA installed five self-checkouts in August to augment the existing three cashier-manned checkouts.

“By deploying NCR self-checkouts, we wanted to introduce an additional service offering and value for our customers,” said BILLA CEO Volker Hornsteiner. “As many tourists are already familiar with the technology from their home countries, we experienced a high usage rate right from the beginning. We expect Austrian shoppers to continue that trend as they become more comfortable with the technology and experience the benefits.”

A BILLA supermarket in the second largest Austrian city, Graz, has also deployed NCR self-checkouts. The store on Stiftingtal Street is located in the building complex of a regional hospital and attracts medical staff, patients and visitors that often have only a few items in their baskets.

“Allowing customers to familiarize themselves with the self-checkout technology at their own pace is part of the strategy that we developed with BILLA,” said Stefan Clemens, Area Sales Leader for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “Introducing new checkouts to complement existing traditional checkouts sends a clear message to customers that service levels are increasing and there are more choices.”

NCR supported the introduction of self-checkout technology at BILLA with comprehensive advice, dedicated training sessions for employees, and services that complement the deployed NCR self-checkouts. One of the key metrics of successful implementations is the reduction of queues. Examples of other installations have shown that NCR SelfServ technology can reduce waiting times by about 40 percent during peak hours. Furthermore it improves customer satisfaction as retail employees have more time to serve customers in the aisles.