Consumer Behavior

Gen Z is all about check-out free, self-scanning, self-checkout

Photo: Adobe Stock

January 26, 2024

Shopping without having to participate in the traditional cashier checkout experience is something Gen Z consumers are embracing. In fact, research reveals over half of Gen Z consumers would switch where they shop to shop in checkout-free stores.

That's a prime finding of a research report commissioned by Avery Dennison that also revealed more than a third (37%) of shoppers polled across the U.S. and the U.K. would switch to a retailer that offers full check-out free stores.

Two-thirds (67%) of those polled would opt for retailers that offer self-scanning at the end of a shop, while almost three-in-five (59%) stated the same about self-scanning as they shop. More than four-in-10 shoppers (45%) would switch to a self-checkout service where products are automatically detected via in-item tagging, meaning they don't need to scan a barcode, according to a press release on the findings.

Furthermore, 49% would be likely to spend more money with a retailer that has a connected or automated checkout experience, and 52% say connected stores would make them more loyal to a retail brand.

The survey, which polled 4,000 consumers, also found that the vast majority (89%) have experienced some form of frictionless shopping in the last 12 months including self-scanning, self-checkout, full check-out free stores and try at home before you purchase services.

"Considering that most people haven't yet had the opportunity to try a full check-out free store, our research shows a high percentage would be more likely to switch retailers for the experience, which demonstrates a clear shift in consumer expectations. At the same time, a growing number of leading retailers are turning to digital ID solutions to truly transform the customer experience," Francisco Melo, president, solutions group at Avery Dennison, said in the release.