EDEKA Jaeger teams with Diebold Nixdorf on AI powered age verification at self-service checkouts

EDEKA Jaeger, part of the EDEKA Group, is now offering customers in the 24/7 store at Stuttgart Airport the opportunity to authorise the purchase of age restricted goods like alcoholic beverages at self-service checkouts using automatic age recognition.

The AI-based solution Vynamic Smart Vision I Age Verification from Diebold Nixdorf complements the previously required approval by store attendants.

This speeds up transactions at the self-service checkouts and gives employees more time for customer service and other responsibilities.

On average, age verification checks are needed in approximately 22% of all transactions in retail stores.

This has a significantly negative impact on throughput times and consumer flow in the self-service area, leading to longer waiting times. Vynamic Smart Vision | Age Verification enables customers to prove their age in less than ten seconds without any staff interventions.

As soon as an age restricted item is scanned at the self-service checkout, the system asks the customer whether automatic age recognition is desired.

Once consent has been given, the customer's face characteristics are analysed using a camera installed on the system and sophisticated AI algorithms to verify their age in real-time.

If the age of the shopper is above a predefined threshold, the transaction can continue. The employees only need to check those customers who fall below this age limit or who have opted out of automatic age recognition.

Florian Jaeger, owner of the 24/7 store at Stuttgart Airport, says: "The creation of quick, simple purchasing processes for customers and my employees is key. This is what makes our store at Stuttgart Airport so attractive for busy travellers. To achieve this, I am always open to explore new innovations.”

“Thanks to AI support, we have already been able to drastically reduce employee interventions for age checks."

In the first week alone, over 80% of age restricted goods purchased at EDEKA Jaeger in the Stuttgart Airport were automatically approved. The system is GDPR compliant as the process does not involve facial recognition, nor does it store images or other customer information.

Matt Redwood, Vice President, Retail Technology Solutions, at Diebold Nixdorf, says: "AI technologies for automated age verification have enormous potential to reduce a typical friction point during the shopping process.”

“We are delighted to be working with EDEKA Jaeger to ensure that customers can prove their age in seconds directly at the self-service checkout, allowing them to get to their next appointment or flight faster."