IT directors of trading companies from Serbia and Croatia, who attended the fair by Service Plus organization, has possibility to see these products and solutions in the practical application - by visiting the Albert Heijn shops in Apeldorn, the Netherlands and EDEKA in Düsseldorf, Germany.

What could be seen in one of the standard store retail chain Albert Heijn, which operates within Ahold, is a solution that includes self scanning and self-check outs, in addition to the standard. Customers at the entrance to the store register using their Loyality cards, which enables them to take scanners from “shelves”, with which they can scanned items they want to buy. After the scan and select the desired items, they go to self checkout and store the scanner on the specified place. After that they pay with credit card by insertion slot, which gives them the account, and after that they can leave the store. As explained Lenselink Frank, director of channel sales and board member of Wincor-Nixdorf, in 2004. Albert Heijn contacted the company in order to improve their operations and increase customer satisfaction. “Wincor Nixdorf team of consultants together with the client did the analysis of the current state of the shops and the future strategy and create 5-6 different solutions. Albert Heijn then chose 3 solutions which started in the pilot project, after which the selected solution that could be seen in the trade in Apeldoorn.

Dealers were initially feared by using self-scanning and self-checkout which can increase the percentage of theft, but there was no negative effects” said Lenselink. Also, the fear that consumers, especially older, will not be willing to learn to use this system proved as unfounded. Customers like this way of buying and paying because it is faster, more comfortable, and because they do not want to wait in line. Another benefit for buyers is that the system preserves the history of purchases that is available on-line, where it is possible to make a shopping list for future purchase, or see which are most commonly purchased items. In this way reduces the number of workers required at checkout, and the workers were able to devote more attention to customers and respond to all of their requirements.

About  Service Plus
Service Plus is a distributor of Wincor Nixdorf in the area of trade in our region. Service Plus has offices in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Germany, UAE, and planning to open offices in other countries in our region. Service Plus is active in India, Egypt, Slovenia and Albania. Provides IT solutions for trade, including hardware, software and professional services (project management, testing services, consulting, support services to the end user). Some of the clients of Service Plus across the region are: Konzum, Mercator-S, Delta Maxi, Familija, Valdi, Gavrilovic, Neoplanta, Yuhor and Tommy.