Abstract
We build a realistic agent-based model for simulating customer decisions of picking a checkout line at a supermarket that is calibrated to actual point of sale (POS) data from a major European retail chain. It is implemented on the open-access NetLogo simulation platform and is freely available to academics and practitioners interested in testing how different checkout zone layouts, as well as queue management and feedback strategies impact the overall efficiency of the checkout process. In particular, we show that when customers pick a line by minimizing the expected waiting time, not only is this choice beneficial for the customers themselves, as it leads to shorter waiting times in queues, but also for the supermarket management, since it yields shorter working times of the cashiers. As such, we provide guidance as to the feedback that could be provided to customers entering the checkout zone.
Highlights
W HY do customers have to wait in queues in supermarkets? The most general answer is that there are more customers than available points of sale (POS)
The queuing environment, social justice measured by adherence to or violation of the first in first out (FIFO) rule and feedback that is provided to customers in queues are the typical objects of interest [2]–[4]
We build a realistic agent-based model (ABM)1 for simulating customer decisions of picking lines in supermarkets, that is flexible enough to allow for testing of different checkout zone layouts, as well as queue management and feedback strategies on the overall efficiency of the checkout process
Summary
W HY do customers have to wait in queues in supermarkets? The most general answer is that there are more customers than available points of sale (POS). Antczak et al.: Data-driven simulation modeling of the checkout process in supermarkets a more efficient flow of customers. In this paper we focus on the latter aspect To this end, we build a realistic agent-based model (ABM) for simulating customer decisions of picking lines in supermarkets, that is flexible enough to allow for testing of different checkout zone layouts, as well as queue management and feedback strategies on the overall efficiency of the checkout process. If valuable feedback was provided to the customers via checkout/customer information systems, e.g., on the expected time spent in each queue, it could substantially increase the efficiency of the checkout process.
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