NEW YORK – The Kroger Co. may soon have a contract with one of the world's largest technology companies to mass produce its Advantage Checkout scan tunnel for purchase by other retailers.
The machine was recognized as a top innovation at the National Retail Federation's annual Big Show this week. Planet Retail, an international retail intelligence firm, called the tunnel the most innovative retail technology of 2010. Kroger became the first retailer to engineer automated tunnel scanning technology in its laboratory and then test it on a sales floor, Planet Retail said.
Kroger began its test of the advanced scanning and checkout technology at its Marketplace store in Hebron last spring. Using optical technology and conveyors that move twice as fast as an existing line, the machine can scan more than double the number of items in the same amount of time. It also eliminates manpower.
This week, Kroger partnered with Fujitsu to showcase the tunnel at the show in New York. A steady stream of retail industry executives and personnel crowded the machine consistently for its two days on display, taking photos and videos and asking questions of both the retailer and manufacturer.
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