IKI: An NCR SelfServ Checkout Case Study

The customer

With more than 250 stores in Lithuania and Latvia, IKI is Lithuania’s second largest grocery retail chain. IKI wants to become the leader in its market, with a vision to be the first and the right choice for everyone. To ensure a pleasant shopping experience and to contribute to its reputation as the store of choice, IKI stores focus on fresh and high-quality products, an exclusive range of goods, a cozy and modern atmosphere, state-of-the-art retail fixtures and attention to and respect for each customer.

The company’s new slogan, “Just a minute—it only takes that long to shop at IKI,” is an apt fit with its name, which means “see you” or “see you later,” in Lithuanian. IKI stands apart as a modern retail chain where customers will always find modern technology that offers faster and more efficient service. The chain takes pride in implementing new ideas ahead of competition. In February 2008 IKI became the first retailer in the Baltic states to implement self-checkout, offering customers the option to scan, bag and pay for goods themselves.

The challenge

Back in 2007 however, IKI faced challenges. At the same time the chain was dealing with staffing shortages, IKI stores experienced increased customer traffic, with consumers spending a higher proportion of their income on groceries. As a result, IKI suffered from long checkout queues, which in turn affected customer service, loyalty and sales levels. These challenges prompted IKI to look at improvements to its technology solutions.

To ensure IKI continued living up to its “brand promise” of being a fast and convenient place to shop, the IKI board decided the company urgently required a solution that would reduce dependency on staff availability and shorten queues.

IKI evaluated all the vendors on the market. IKI takes pride in always seeking perfection and looking for better solutions. After five months of evaluating the comparative technologies, IKI chose the NCR SelfServ Checkout solution.