Supermarket chain Morrisons has rolled out infra-red technology to analyse customer behaviour and increase efficiency of staff deployment.

Infra-red detectors are mounted over checkout lanes along with detectors counting the number of people entering the store. The information is fed onto a system which displays the average queue length, average waiting time and overall store checkout performance in real-time.

Following an initial trial with five stores, the retailer is now planning to use the Irisys-provided system across its entire store network.

Business benefits so far include a significant” reduction in customer waiting time and improved cashier utilisation as queue information helps management deploy staff in the right place and time.

The tool is also expected to improve customer service as store managers are able to anticipate busy or slow periods more than four to six weeks in advance and plan staff rosters.

“The investment in the latest technology is part of our strategy to continue to be not only a leader in terms of value for money, but also in the delivery of exceptional service and real benefits to our customers,” said Sylvia Jones, head of retail operations at Morrisons.

“By investing in this innovative solution we aim to deliver real benefits to all our customers in as cost-effective a manner as possible."