Portuguese supermarket chain Continente is investing €3 million in a technological renovation project, to improve the shopping experience of its customers.
This includes a new NCR self-checkout system, which will be available in 70 Continente stores by the end of 2023, the company noted.
The new system is faster and more intuitive, and it allows payment by all methods, including cash, bank card, Continente Card and Continente Pay.
The self-checkout tills will be located in an exclusive and centralised area with more space, allowing shopping trolleys to move around. There will also be the option to use the Continente Siga app to pay without going through the checkout.
Miguel Ramos, director of operational development at MC, said, “A scale has also been incorporated into each unit for registering fruit and vegetable and bakery and pastry items, [and] biotic readers that allow for [the] faster registration of items and the use of new payment methods, such as the Dá Card.
“In addition, we have improved the process for the shop, where the self-checkout staff take on a more dynamic role and are closer to the customers.”
Other Checkout Options
For customers who value interaction and service with an employee, all stores will retain the traditional checkouts.
Director of operational development Ramos says that the feedback on the self-checkout system has been very positive, and that it has increased the usage rate by ten percentage points, in many cases.
He added that Continente is committed to investing in a variety of services to improve the customer experience.
Continente’s digitalisation strategy is based on an in-depth understanding of the consumer’s shopping journey. This allows the company to identify all the areas in which digital solutions can contribute to improving the customer experience.
