The death of the checkout counter is leading brands to rethink their store layouts
Heading to a checkout to pay for items is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
As startup brands like Glossier and Mejuri scale across the country, they’ve ditched the so-called “cash wrap” — and they’re reclaiming space for displays, more product testing, or places to sit and congregate.
Emily Lewis, gm of retail at Glossier, said the brand intentionally designs its stores in a circular fashion that doesn’t rely on a central checkout or old-school beauty counters. Instead, associates use mobile point-of-sale systems to check out customers whenever and wherever they’re ready. And instead of products sitting on shelves, everything is on tables for people to test and try out.
“We’ve designed our stores to have flow, no matter what,” she said. “If you think about the way Apple is designed, as a comparison, where you’ve got a big pre-set field of tables, it’s meant to encourage that sense of community and play and self-direction in the store.”
At a moment when shoppers’ disposable income is becoming more precious, retail leaders like Lewis are thinking hard about how to improve the store experience. Thanks to self-checkout and mobile POS systems becoming more mainstream, the footprint of a store can be used differently than having a large fixed checkout counter. Now, brands are rethinking how to best use the space that previously went to a physical checkout counter.
Retail experiences used to end with counter service and a neatly wrapped package, but that model is quickly fading, said Jamie Cornelius, executive creative director at brand design firm ChangeUp. “Nobody’s asking for counters anymore,” she said. One example is furniture stores, which are increasingly set up to have associates ring customers out when they’re near the product they’re buying, she said.
“It’s this final moment where I’m sitting right next to whatever I’m purchasing,” she said. “There’s a confirmation in what I’m doing, rather than ushering me over to another place where I’m no longer connected to the product.”
Some brands are finding that a mobile checkout is bumping sales. Angela Kendall, director of retail, strategy and omnichannel operations at Velvet by Graham and Spencer, said the company has replaced an old-school cash wrap with iPads for checkout. It has also put couches and chairs in its stores to create areas where people can sit down and relax. Not only does this help when the stores host events, Kendall said, but it also increases dwell time which can lead to higher sales.
Velvet has seen about a 40% increase in point-of-sale purchases in its stores thanks to more customer discoveries compared to e-commerce, Kendall said. But she said it’s important not to use technology just for the sake of having a more high-tech experience. While a self-checkout display screen may work for some, it wouldn’t be a fit for their brand, she said.
“We’ve really dove into mobile POS, making sure all of our staff members are using iPads as they walk around,” Kendall said. “It’s OK if it’s just an iPad, and that iPad can save you a lot of money through that really well-educated associate who knows how to use it in the fitting room or while walking around.”
Similarly at Glossier, associates are meant to roam the store and not overwhelm customers by pushing product, Lewis said. Instead of making blanket suggestions as soon as someone walks into the store, customers are encouraged to explore. Then associates who are taught by experts on the products can ask questions or give recommendations.”In our first meeting, we said, “We don’t want you to just be a salesy beauty counter,'” she said. “We want you to be someone who connects with the customer. Someone who’s there to create a great experience, not just to push product.”
Courtney Hawkins, svp of retail at jewelry store Mejuri, said the company hasn’t used cash wraps since it first store opened in Toronto back in 2018. It now has over 40 stores, some of which are around 800 square feet. It also breaks from tradition by using open shelving instead of jewelry behind glass cases. Hawkins said these are display items that customers can hold and try on, with the actual inventory stored in the back. This setup, she said, allows a customer to work with the same associate from start to finish.
“You work with the same associate from start to finish, rather than being handed off to someone else at a cash wrap. The transaction is continuous and integrated, and it’s a concierge experience,” she said. “Once a product is packaged in the back, it’s brought out and presented. We show the customer their piece, talk about how to care for it and then wrap it up. That’s the end of the experience — not a handoff to a register.”
Cornelius from ChangeUp said removing counters also dovetails with other opportunities to create “wow” moments, particularly at entry points, that may not even involve product at all. Instead, these areas may feature artistic installations or community spaces designed to evoke emotion and connection.
“It’s about making those entry and exit points feel like brand moments, the way your cash wrap used to be kind of a brand moment,” Cornelius said. “We’re having so many different retailers say, ‘We want that moment upon arrival to start to change perceptions of who we are and how we want to connect.'”