PetrolPlaza Talks #9: Self-Checkout at C-Stores

Matt Redwood, Head of Self-Service Solutions at Diebold Nixdorf, spoke to PetrolPlaza about self-checkouts at gas stations and convenience stores, one of the hottest topics in the industry.

As seen last week at the NACS Show 2021, self-service checkouts have become one of the biggest topics of the year. We spoke to Diebold Nixdorf’s Matt Redwood prior to the show about this technology, its role in today’s convenience stores, and some of the challenges around it.

Redwood believes self-service technology tackles some of the major issues in the industry, such as queuing and the lack of labour.

“Consumers have moved beyond seeing self-service as an annoying technology that’s pushed upon them. They have now started to demand it because they want choice. Giving your consumer a choice, reducing queues and being more efficient in how you utilize your staff are all factors,” explains Redwood.

A common misconception around self-service is that it takes staff out of the process. “The reality is that we are taking mundane tasks like scanning and payment, and giving them to the consumer. That member of staff is then free to deliver a good consumer experience somewhere else in the store.”

Technologies like AI and item recognition using cameras at the touch point have made things easier for consumers while assisting retailers in their fight against shrinkage.

Medium to long-term, Redwood sees self-service as the stepping stone towards autonomous checkouts. The adoption of these technologies will only go as fast the consumer changes. Diebold Nixdorf believes self-service is the bridge towards a future of fully autonomous stores.

Matt Redwood is Diebold Nixdorf’s Director of Advance Self-Service within Retail. He has more than a decade of experience in sales, consulting and senior management positions, and has executed the delivery of retail technology into multiple tier one retailers globally. His extensive knowledge of the retail industry includes POS, self-service, enterprise mobility as well as future innovation and road maps with a high focus on future self-service technologies.