Retailers could lose business over the Christmas period if long queues put off customers, according to research from RBS WorldPay.
It is urging retailers to install contactless payment technology to allow cardholders to pay quickly by tapping or waving contactless-enabled bank cards across a payment reader.
RBS Worldpay said queues were set to increase by an average two minutes in the run up to Christmas, with customers being kept waiting an average six minutes.
An increase in queue lengths could be interpreted as a sign of growing economic prosperity. However, closer analysis shows it’s more likely that customers are kept waiting due to staff not being in a position to take on as many staff as they would like – two thirds of retailers (65%) said they would not take on more staff this Christmas.
RBS Worldpay said retailers adopting contactless card payment options did not have to leave so much cash on their premises and reduced the risk of losing money through overstretched staff handing out incorrect change to customers.
Matt Rowsell, head of Business Development at RBS WorldPay, said: “Christmas 2009 comes at the end of another tough year for nearly all retailers.
“Nobody can afford to let critical custom slip through the festive net as a result of customers being discouraged by snaking queues.
“The stakes are also too high to leave Christmas cash on the premises which is why we are encouraging our retailers to consider new technology, like contactless payments for lower value transactions that can help speed up transactions and reduce cash taken over the counter.
“Our priority is the same as our customers – we want to keep those tills ringing during Christmas and beyond, and to keep takings in the hands of business owners.”
