Food and drink make up more than 90% of checkout area purchases, and alongside beverages and candy, snacks are a top category in the space, so optimizing queues is key, says The Hershey Co.
“The longer a shopper dwells, the more likely they are to convert, but the design and layout of a queue line play a role in how likely a shopper will make an unplanned purchase,” says Nicole Capes, senior manager of transaction zones at The Hershey Co. “Suboptimal queue designs divert shoppers’ attention away from dwelling and instead focus them on navigational elements, which can reduce conversion by almost 20%.”
"Hershey recommends retailers add incremental space to self-checkout queues."
Capes suggests a single-entrance, straight queue that has a wider aisle. She says lower sight lines and navigation lights are helpful, too.
One opportunity: the “second basket.” This occurs when customers that placed mobile orders purchase more items in the store during pickup.
“This behavior has been increasing since the start of the pandemic and is likely to maintain or increase in the future,” says the Hershey Co. “Hershey’s insights found that 10% to 20% of click-and-collect trips include a second basket with an average purchase of $38, with snacks and candy among the top five second-basket additions.
“Furthermore, nearly 70% of second-basket transactions occur through self-checkout.
To capitalize on these unplanned purchases, Hershey recommends retailers add incremental space to self-checkout queues, expand item assortments and utilize display merchandising for take-home and seasons.”