Welcome to the “Retail Engineering” Blog.
New perspectives. Clear insights. Practical solutions.
Here you will find regular posts, expert commentary and concise analyses on modern retail technologies:
Self-checkouts, EAS and RFID systems, fraud prevention, age verification, ergonomics and accessibility, technical standards and regulatory requirements.
In short: Everything that helps to develop innovative and future-proof solutions for the retail sector.
No Scale = No Scan?
More and more self-checkout systems are operating without an integrated security scale. What seems like a minor technical decision is fundamentally changing checkout processes, customer behaviour and loss prevention. Why control is not disappearing – but evolving into intelligent system logic.
SCOs: Plenty of Room for Improvement!
Self-checkout systems have become part of everyday retail operations. Yet many current SCO solutions still feel unnecessarily complicated, disruptive and far from intuitive. Why the real problem is often not the technology itself — but the way it is implemented.
End of the Road?
Self-checkout systems are becoming the new standard in grocery retail. But does this automatically mean the end of the traditional staffed checkout? Why SCO is far more than just new technology — and why retail is facing a fundamental system change.
An SCO Is More Than Just a Piece of Furniture. It Is a Behavioural Space.
Self-checkout systems are far more than just technology. They actively influence human behaviour — and with it the dynamics of retail shrinkage. Why SCO zones must be understood as psychological behavioural spaces and why technology alone is not enough.
Just Give It a Go. It Might Turn Out Well.
EuroShop 2026 clearly demonstrated how rapidly retail is evolving: AI, smart stores, sensor technologies and intelligent POS systems are becoming key strategic success factors. Why Retail 4.0 is already reality — and why now is the right time to actively engage with new technologies.
An Open Door May Even Tempt a Saint!
€5 billion in inventory losses in Germany in 2024. A figure we need to talk about…
Once upon a time in Switzerland
How Migros invented the self-checkout in 1965 – and why trust alone wasn’t enough…
Digital Skills as a Key Driver of Digital Transformation
Why the Digital Skills Indicator (DSI) will determine the success of digitalisation in retail – and why digital competence is becoming increasingly important.
How can a touchscreen be used by a blind person?
A simple, seemingly trivial question – with a sobering answer: It cannot.
Let’s do the Time Warp again!
A fascinating look back at the Check-Robot – the first self-checkout ever, presented at EuroShop 1990.
