Kmart trialling new self-serve feature despite rising frustrations

Despite growing frustrations at self-service check-outs among Aussies, Kmart has decided to trial a new customer-assisted feature.

Kmart Australia is currently trialling two new self-service kiosks despite rising frustrations over customer-assisted features in stores.

The retail giant revealed it will be testing a customer operated “select and collect” self-serve counter, which Kmart said is aimed at helping customers buying “big and bulky products” by removing the “inconvenience of moving around large items when shopping”.

There’s also a new “click & collect” counter that will see items brought out to the customer from the warehouse via robotics, an update on the budget retailer’s current system that has been designed to “create a simple, quick experience”.

Kmart is trialling a new 'select and collect' kiosk in a Melbourne store aimed at those buying big and bulky items. Picture: Supplied

There’s also a new self-serve ‘click and collect’ kiosk that fastens up the current process. Picture: Supplied

The additional services are initially only being trialled in the Eastland Kmart store in Melbourne, though if successful, the new self-serve kiosks could be rolled out nationwide.

“Our automated click and collect system is designed to create a simple, quick experience with a self-service kiosk – where customers get their products delivered automatically via warehouse robotics that work behind the scenes,” Ben Smith, Kmart’s general manager property, told news.com.au.

“We have also launched a new trial ‘Select and Collect’ service, which is a kiosk within the store to shop big and bulky products.

“These then get collected via our direct to boot service to avoid the inconvenience of moving around large items when shopping, again making shopping a more seamless and convenient experience for our customers.”

Mr Smith explained Kmart is “focused on constantly finding ways that evolve our customer experience to make shopping easier”, which included “trialling a number of new store elements to see how these improve customer experience”.

“A big part of that, is looking at how we use technology to deliver not only productivity improvements in our operations, but a better, more seamless customer experience when they come into store.

It’s one of an array of new services being trialled in the Eastland Kmart store in Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

Eastland is also currently trialling a change of location for its check-outs. Picture: Supplied

In a post shared on LinkedIn, Mr Smith added the store layout had been changed to make way for the new kiosk, which photos show is nestled beside the fitting rooms.

“The trial store is a test and learn for Kmart to create an even better experience for our customers,” Mr Smith wrote.

“We’ve made changes to the layout, expanded on growing categories and implemented new technology such as robotic click and collect and a new select and collect option for our bigger bulky items.”

The Eastland Kmart store also recently relocated its cash registers back to the entrance, after previously moving check-outs to the middle of stores back in 2012.

The apparent backflip has been welcomed by shoppers who previously described the central location of cash registers as “confusing” and “dumb”.

Despite being praised by shoppers, Kmart stressed there were no plans as of yet to implement the change at other stores across the country.

Originally published as Kmart trialling new self-serve feature despite rising frustrations