Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Efficient checkout line for effective management

Designing layouts for checkout lanes is tricky for any retailer. A store must be able to draft a layout that maximizes efficiency and productivity. A well-calculated design does not only enhance the store's quality of customer service, it can also create additional revenue.

Specialists who can expertly construe a design that meets the objectives of a store in terms of controlling crowds and queues. However, conceptualizing an efficient layout is highly technical. The end product may be difficult to implement without help.

Depending the size and traffic, a store can choose to have lane-per-lane checkouts or single-lane queues. Wrong judgment as to the number of lanes increases a business's capital and overhead expenditures. Multiple lanes that hardly ever see queues are just as costly as setting up single lanes that bring unbearably long lines.

Installing as much technology as a store's budget can afford will speed up checkout lanes. Bar code scanners, conveyor belts, a seamless line connection, and electronic call forward systems will cut the time spent on a single customer at checkout.


From crowd control, a checkout lane can also be designed to bring incremental revenues to a store. Customizing the lane and checkout counter with merchandising add-ons such as product panels and displays encourages impulse buying. It can also be a post for marketing and advertising. Stores can decorate the counter with promotional materials for different brands or sales programs.

Designing a strategic layout for checkout lanes is ultimately part of a store's customer service. An effective checkout lane minimizes customer complaints and produces organized and controlled queuing.

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