Self Checkout Has Appeal To Canadians

One-Quarter (27%) Of Canadians More Likely To Shop At Store That Offers Self-Checkout Option - 18% Of Canadians Say The Option To "Check Yourself Out" Has Great Impact On Where They Choose To Shop Majorities Think Self-Checkout Provides Benefits Such As "Having A Choice On How To Check Out", "Shorter Lines", "Faster Checkout" And "Privacy" If Self-Checkout Allows Retailers To Move Staff Most Canadians Would Like To See Store Staff Re-Allocated To Improved Customer Service And Cleanliness
Toronto, ON - According to a new Ipsos-Reid/NCR survey released today, one-quarter of Canadians (27%) say they would be more likely to shop at a store that offers a self-checkout option to them than one that doesn't, and 18% of Canadians say the option to "check yourself out" has a great impact on where they choose to shop.

This good enthusiasm towards self-checkout may, in part, be explained by the fact that most Canadians think that having a self-checkout option would provide many benefits: Seven in ten (70%) point to "having a choice on how to checkout", 59% point to "shorter lines", 56% point to "faster checkout", 56 % point to "privacy", and 55% point to "control of the process" as benefits of self-checkout. These benefits are even more commonly cited by those respondents who say they are "more likely" to shop at a store that offers a self-checkout option. Other benefits surveyed were cited by fewer than half of respondents.

If their retailer were to implement a self-checkout system, most Canadians (63%) would like to see them reallocate the checkout staff towards providing easily accessible personnel in the aisles, at a greeter station, or a customer service desk to help them locate products or answer questions. Approximately half of Canadians (48%) would like to see their retailer reallocate these staff resources towards the "cleanliness and tidiness of the store", 44% would prefer "having well stocked shelves", 26% would prefer "assistance with bagging purchased items", and 12% would prefer "seeing product demonstrations".

The fact that many Canadians would like staff reallocation to go towards these areas make sense in light of the knowledge that things like "product availability" (85%), "cleanliness" (84%) and "customer support in areas other than the checkout" (62%) are identified by strong majorities of Canadians as considerations that have a great impact on how they choose where they will shop.

When considering additional self-service devices that they would like to see offered by their retailer, eight in ten (83%) cite "kiosks that allow you to check prices on items, 61% cite "kiosks or interactive displays that allow you to get additional information about products," 52% cite "kiosks that allow you to pre-order deli items and have the order fulfilled while you shop", 44% cite "kiosks that deliver personalized offers and promotions upon store entry", and 39% cite "kiosks that allow you to pay bills such as utilities and cell phones".

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/NCR survey conducted from September 10th to September 13th, 2004. For the survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1000 adult Canadians were interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

Please open attached files to view full press release and detailed tables.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Ipsos-Reid
416.324.2900
[email protected]

Ipsos-Reid
Ipsos-Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader and the country's leading provider of public opinion research. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos-Reid employs more than 300 researcher professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in Canada, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and on-line panels. Ipsos-Reid's Canadian marketing research and public affairs practices are staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, offering the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada--including the Ipsos Trend Report, the leading source of public opinion in the country--all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Ipsos-Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2004, Ipsos generated global revenues of e 605.6 million ($752.8 million U.S.).

Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.

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