Edeka Paschmann in Düsseldorf is the first supermarket in Germany to use Diebold Nixdorf’s Vynamic Smart Vision theft prevention system at its self-service checkouts.

The AI-enabled technology addresses errors at the self-service checkout – both unintentional and deliberate – and offers retailers protection against the most common causes of loss in self-checkout. In addition, the systems are equipped with automatic, AI-powered age verification.

Both help Edeka Paschmann reduce friction for shoppers and store staff alike, tackling the areas that cause most interventions and checkout delays.

Vynamic Smart Vision (www.dieboldnixdorf.com/en-us/retail/portfolio/software/shrink-reduction) uses cameras to analyse customer behaviour and activities at the self-service checkout in real time. If the system detects a missed scan or incorrect operation, customers receive a nudge via a message on the checkout display informing that an item has not been scanned correctly. Once the shopper self-rectifies and scans the product that was missed, the transaction continues without major interruption to the checkout process.

Employees are only informed if the system displays another error message, so they can provide support to complete the checkout process correctly. Short, real-time video sequences of the anomaly detected by the system help better illustrate the process to customers and explain how certain operating errors can be avoided.

The age verification system (www.dieboldnixdorf.com/en-us/retail/portfolio/software/self-service/vynamic-self-service/age-verification) uses a consumer-facing camera and an algorithm. Shoppers can authorise the purchase of age-restricted goods such as alcoholic beverages. This gives staff members time for more important tasks such as customer service or ensuring product availability, as they only need to assist shoppers who score below the age threshold or those who do not wish to opt in.

Both do not involve facial recognition or the storage of images or other customer information, making them GDPR-compliant.

“The well-being of our customers is a high priority,” said Falk Paschmann, managing director of Edeka Paschmann. “We want to make the shopping experience as appealing as possible for them with state-of-the-art store technology. This also applies to the payment process. With Diebold Nixdorf’s Smart Vision technology, we are making the self-service area even more attractive, as we give our customers the assurance that all transactions are carried out correctly and, in the case of age-restricted goods, more quickly.”

Leyla Feghhi, head of retail sales in the Dach region at Diebold Nixdorf, added: “We are delighted to see Vynamic Smart Vision shrink reduction in use for the first time in Germany at Edeka Paschmann. With this AI power, we already cover more than 20 of the most common causes of shrink. At the same time, the technology enables employees to better assess situations so they can respond appropriately. This prevents customers from being suspected of theft every time they accidentally scan an item incorrectly, and staff from having to engage in difficult personal interventions.”

In the future, Edeka Paschmann also plans to use Vynamic Smart Vision fresh produce recognition (www.dieboldnixdorf.com/en-us/retail/portfolio/software/self-service/vynamic-self-service/fresh-produce-recognition), an AI-powered offering for automatic recognition of fruit and vegetables.

Edeka Paschmann (edeka-paschmann.de) has 11 stores with a total sales area of over 20,000m² and more than 900 employees. It belongs to the Edeka Group and, at the regional level, to the Rhein-Ruhr wholesale company in Moers. Each store is individually tailored to its location and structural conditions.

Ohio-based Diebold Nixdorf (www.dieboldnixdorf.com) automates, digitises and transforms the way people bank and shop. The company has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 21,000 employees worldwide.