Groupement Mousquetaires, a prominent French retail group known for its brands such as Intermarché, Netto, and Bricomarché, is set to roll out an innovative AI-driven solution aimed at tackling fraud at self-service checkouts (SCOs). The initiative, which follows a successful pilot programme with Diebold Nixdorf's Vynamic® Smart Vision I Shrink Reduction technology, is part of the group’s broader strategy to combat shrinkage and enhance operational efficiency throughout its store network.
The pilot, which commenced in March 2024 at an Intermarché location in La Farlède, has shown notable results in addressing common retail losses. The Vynamic Smart Vision I solution works by analysing customer behaviour in real-time, enabling it to detect various transactional anomalies, such as items passing through without being scanned, items stacked over one another, or customers leaving the checkout area without completing their payment.
In collaboration with Diebold Nixdorf, Groupement Mousquetaires aims to optimise the checkout experience for both shoppers and staff. Maxime Canu, a member of the Inno Lab at Groupement Mousquetaires, commented on the innovative project, stating: “With this AI technology solution from our partner Diebold Nixdorf, we have designed an innovation that revolutionises self-service checkout management. It benefits everyone: customers, staff members and our retailers. The ability to reduce losses, make transactions more fluid and remove friction for consumers marks a real turning point for our sector.”
The implementation of this technology has led to a significant reduction in erroneous transactions, a prevalent issue in the retail environment. Following the initial testing phase, the rate of erroneous transactions decreased dramatically from 3% to under 1%. Such improvements highlight the solution's capacity to identify and alert customers to discrepancies, thus empowering shoppers to correct their transactions independently while simultaneously bolstering retailers' control processes and mitigating financial losses.
Moreover, the AI solution has resulted in a decrease in the necessity for cashier interventions by nearly 15%, facilitating a smoother transaction process at self-service checkouts. This efficiency allows customers to spend less time waiting in line and staff to dedicate more attention to critical operations.
Laurent Hugou, who oversees the Intermarché store in La Farlède and holds the position of president of Stime—the Information System Department of Groupement Mousquetaires—expressed satisfaction with the early outcomes of the initiative, saying: “Thanks to this AI-powered solution from Diebold Nixdorf, we have seen a significant reduction in errors, which eases the workload for our team and improves the experience for our customers. Interactions between staff and customers have become smoother and more pleasant. After just six months in use, this technology has already become indispensable to our day-to-day operations.”
From Diebold Nixdorf’s perspective, the partnership and solutions developed reflect a commitment to balancing the needs of retailers and consumers. Matt Redwood, vice president of Retail Technology Solutions at Diebold Nixdorf, remarked: “We are excited to take the next step with Groupement Mousquetaires and prepare the rollout after achieving strong results during the test phase. Our combined solution out of hardware, software and service globally has been designed alongside retailers, keeping store staff, serviceability and customer experience in mind. It provides a range of actionable outputs that help the retailer combat shrink without alienating their customers.”
As Groupement Mousquetaires gears up to implement this advanced technology across all its store locations, the retail sector anticipates the potential implications of such AI innovations on business practices, particularly regarding efficiency and loss prevention. The project marks a forward-thinking approach to integrating technological advancements into everyday retail operations.
Source: Noah Wire Services