Edeka Jaeger, part of the Edeka Group and one of the leading German supermarket organisations, is now offering customers in the 24/7 store at Stuttgart Airport the opportunity to authorise the purchase of age-restricted goods like alcoholic beverages at the self-service checkout using automatic age recognition.
The AI-based solution Vynamic® Smart Vision | Age Verification from Diebold Nixdorf, a world leader in transforming the way people shop, complements the previously required approval by store attendants.
This considerably speeds up transactions at self-service checkouts and gives employees more time for customer service and other responsibilities.
On average, age verification checks are needed in approximately 22% of all transactions in retail stores. This has a significantly negative impact on throughput times and consumer flow in the self-service area, leading to longer waiting times.
Vynamic Smart Vision | Age Verification enables customers to prove their age in less than 10 seconds without any staff interventions.
As soon as an age-restricted item is scanned at the self-service checkout, the system asks the customer whether automatic age recognition is desired.
Once consent has been given, the customer's facial characteristics are analysed using a camera installed on the system and sophisticated AI algorithms to verify their age in real time.
If the age of the shopper is above a predefined threshold, the transaction can continue. The employees only need to check those customers who fall below this age limit or who have opted out of automatic age recognition.
Florian Jaeger, owner of the 24/7 store at Stuttgart Airport, is convinced by the new solution.
"The creation of quick, simple purchasing processes for customers and my employees is key. This is what makes our store at Stuttgart Airport so attractive for busy travellers. To achieve this, I am always open to exploring new innovations. Thanks to AI support, we have already been able to drastically reduce employee interventions for age checks," Jaeger stated.
In the first week alone, over 80% of age-restricted goods purchased at EDEKA Jaeger in the Stuttgart Airport were automatically approved.
The system is GDPR-compliant as the process does not involve facial recognition, nor does it store images or other customer information.
Matt Redwood, vice president of Retail Technology Solutions at Diebold Nixdorf said, "AI technologies for automated age verification have enormous potential to reduce a typical friction point during the shopping process.
"We are delighted to be working with EDEKA Jaeger to ensure that customers can prove their age in seconds directly at the self-service checkout, allowing them to get to their next appointment or flight faster."
The introduction of the AI-based solution for automatic age verification follows the 24/7 self-service concept implemented at Stuttgart Airport just last year, where EDEKA Jaeger optimised the shopping experience for its customers during and outside peak hours with self-service solutions from Diebold Nixdorf.
Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated automates, digitises and transforms the way people bank and shop. For more information, visit www.dieboldnixdorf.com.
This article was written in partnership with Diebold Nixdorf.
