Company News • 16.12.2013

Bakery changes store experience with closed cash handling

A few days ago I visited a bakery store that has changed the store model with the help of closed cash handling. First, let’s think about how a bakery normally looks:  You go through the entrance and walk up to the counter, perhaps with a queue ticket, and look at the various breads and cakes. When it’s your turn to be served, you make and get your selection, pay, pack and leave through the entrance. You paid with coins, notes or card.

Now enter Dahls bakery in Sweden. Directly after entering, you see all the breads, cakes that are offered. You immediately pick the ones you’d like. As you walk towards the counter to pay, you see more tempting breads etc. At the counter, the cashier adds up your selection and you pay with coins, notes and card. Dahls is using a closed cash handling system so you pay easily with the coins into the machine and hand the notes to the cashier. Change is quickly paid back. Most of the time it’s only one cashier serving two counters right next to each other. This allows the customer to take time to put the selected bread on the counter, pay and pack and prepare to leave. The cashier is with a quick sidestep at the other counter, serving the next customer. Since the closed cash handling system is fast, it cuts the queue time without rushing the customers. You leave though the exit by the counter. When no customer is at the counters, the cashier refills and arranges the products on the shelves and can easily assist customers.

Revenues increase

Why is this great? First they sell much more when the customer is close to the breads rather than behind a counter. Secondly, the one-way customer flow through the store minimizes the floor space and maximizes the product exposure. The dual counters allow one cashier to handle more customers without rushing them. The closed cash system allows the cashier to leave the counter at any time to service customers. The secure cash handling system allows an open floor plan and is protected against robberies.

Dahl has increased sales, lowered facility costs, improved customer service, and improved customer experience. Apart from the wonderful smell of freshly baked bread, I really like how Dahls has used new machines to drastically improve the business and customer experience. That is machines used correctly – to improve the human experience.

channels: cash management, cash handling systems