Belgian supermarket chain Colruyt is rolling out its “easy check-out” (with smart AI cameras that automatically scan products) to all of its 270 supermarkets. The implementation should be completed late next year, the first fifty stores should be equipped next month.
Shorter queues
Colruyt implemented an initial version of these intelligent cameras in 2023 in the supermarket near its headquarters in Halle. The cameras above the checkouts recognise the products that employees transfer from one cart to another, so those employees no longer need to scan the bar code with a handheld scanner. This way, the system should provide a significant productivity gain, shorten queues, and improve ergonomics for the employees. The retailer is also testing a smart checkout scale that recognises bulk fruits and vegetables.
In its the recently published annual report, the company delves deeper into the use of data and AI. Colruyt Group employs AI tools to optimise or automate processes: AI can take over repetitive tasks, so that employees can focus on more complex tasks. Recently, the retailer has also started using GenAI to create new content, such as text or images. The system also categorises the thousands of reviews that come in at customer service to quickly analyse feedback, gain insights, and propose possible improvements. AI also inspires the a specialised team in compiling new recipes, and assists software engineers in programming.
Ethical body
For making sales forecasts, Colruyt Group uses software that operates based on statistical models also used by the social media giant Meta. This approach results in 25 % fewer stock outages in the stores, not only at Colruyt but also at subsidiaries Okay and Bio-Planet, and improves customer satisfaction.
Colruyt Group also claims to be the first Belgian retailer with an ethical organ: the Data, Privacy & Security Board, that is supported by an AI Advisory Team consisting of about ten experienced colleagues with diverse profiles. “They provide nuanced advice on how to handle AI and GenAI within the group, of course in line with our values and privacy legislation”, the company specified.
