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Move up to the head of the line
Hannaford market tests managing cart traffic at the register

By RUTH FANTASIA, Executive features editor
First published in print: Saturday, August 1, 2009

Hannaford Bros. grocery chain is testing a new checkout system in its Ballston Spa store that, if successful, could mean the end of jockeying for position in the shortest register line, and wondering if "10 items or fewer" really means 11.


Similar to the single-line systems used at post offices, book stores and other retailers, Hannaford's Queue checkout requires shoppers to line up in front of a "service leader" who directs each customer to the next available cash register. While the concept isn't revolutionary, the system, which Hannaford has been developing over the last four years, speeds up the checkout process, says Tricia Girard, concept developer for the supermarket chain's retail operations division.

The system has been in place for 11 weeks at the Ballston Spa store, located on Weibel Avenue in Milton. According to Hannaford district manager Dennis Martin, most customers seem to have adapted and find it to be an improvement............>>>>>............>>>>...........http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=826933