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Dive Brief:
Target is introducing accessible self-checkout in what it calls a “first of its kind in U.S. retail,” the company announced Friday. The technology will integrate with Target’s existing self-checkout system.
The result is a guest-first design that primarily supports people who are blind or have low vision, with additional benefits for guests with motor disabilities, per the retailer. Target partnered with the National Federation of the Blind to help shape the technology.
Accessible self-checkout will roll out nationwide starting this holiday season and will continue into the early part of next year.
Dive Insight:
New features of Target’s self-checkout include braille and high-contrast button icons, a headphone jack with volume controls, physical navigation buttons and a custom tactile controller. Guests will be able to hear each screen and payment prompt in an audio stream, allowing them to check out “independently and with confidence,” per the company.
“This season brings so much joy for our guests, but we know it can be overwhelming, too,” Adrienne Costanzo, chief stores officer at Target, said in a company blog post. “That’s why even small wins matter — like an accessible self-checkout that helps guests shop their way, with confidence. Put that together with our no-wait checkout experience at staffed lanes or express self-checkout, and you’ve got the kind of Target run we know guests are counting on.”
The effort is part of Target’s strategy regarding checkout improvements. Last year, the company introduced express self-checkout lanes across most of its locations, limiting shoppers to a maximum of 10 items. Additionally, store managers were given greater control over the ratio of cashiers to self-checkout lanes. Roughly a year later, the retailer said the express self-checkout lanes trimmed the average transaction time at both self-checkout and staffed lanes by nearly 8%.
Meanwhile, other major retailers have taken a different approach with their self-checkout stations. Last year, Walmart announced plans to replace its self-checkout kiosks at select stores with staffed checkout lines. After Dollar General opted to remove most of its self-checkout stations a year ago, it reported a decline in shrink.