Transforming Consum’s Retail Efficiency with Wavetec’s Queue Management System and Digital Signage

Overview

Consum, one of Spain’s fastest-growing supermarket cooperatives, operates more than 930 supermarkets nationwide. For the past eight years, over 500 of these stores have partnered with Wavetec to transform deli, meat, and fish counters through an integrated Queue Management System (QMS). The solution combines branded kiosks, Donatello Digital Signage, and real-time data analytics, creating a modernized shopping experience that reduces wait times, boosts sales, and drives operational efficiency.

Challenge

Consum faced industry-wide challenges that directly impacted sales and customer satisfaction:

• Long queues at counters created frustration and walkaways.
• Limited visibility into customer flow made resource allocation difficult.
• Customers often abandoned purchases due to uncertainty around waiting times.
• Manual posters for promotions were costly to update and lacked real-time flexibility.

The need was clear: an efficient, scalable system to organize checkout flow, reduce waiting stress, optimize staff performance, and lower operational costs.

The Solution

Wavetec’s partnership with Consum unfolded in two phases:

Phase 1 (2015–2023): Laying the Foundations for Efficiency

In the initial phase of the partnership, Wavetec focused on improving the queue management system with essential infrastructure:

• M-18 Branded Kiosks were introduced at fresh food counters to issue tickets and organize customer flow.
• Spectra Dashboards were deployed in-store, providing managers with real-time insights to enhance staff allocation and service efficiency.
• The Mobile App Ticketing system was integrated with in-store weighing scales, allowing customers to secure a ticket virtually and enabling staff to process orders efficiently at the counters.

Phase 2 (2024–Present): Advancing with Digital Signage

The next phase marked a significant leap in technology with the introduction of Donatello Digital Signage:

• 1500 screens were rolled out across 500+ stores to provide real-time updates on queue status, waiting times, and dynamic promotions.
• A centrally managed content system allows the seamless scheduling of promotions and updates across all locations, ensuring consistent communication without delays.

This phased approach ensured stability, scalability, and minimal disruption during implementation.

Driving Sustainability with Digital Signages

The latest addition to Consum’s in-store technology is Donatello Digital Signage, which has further modernized communication and efficiency. With more than 1,500 digital screens installed, Consum ensures consistent customer messaging while optimizing operations.

The shift from printed posters to digital signage has had a direct impact on costs and sustainability. Instead of printing tens of thousands of flyers every month across its network, Consum now runs promotions digitally, saving an estimated €1 million annually*. Screens are centrally managed, so new offers can be updated in real time across all stores, eliminating the delays and expenses tied to manual poster campaigns.

By reducing paper usage, Consum has also advanced its environmental commitments, adopting a smarter, greener approach to in-store communication.

Customer Journey

Wavetec’s system redefined how shoppers interact with Consum’s fresh food counters:

• Arrival: Customers take a ticket from the self-service kiosk. The kiosks are branded in Consum’s orange identity and allow selection from three categories: meat, fish, or deli.
• Waiting: Customers are free to continue shopping while their turn approaches. They stay informed by checking Donatello digital signage screens, which display queue progress, estimated waiting times, and real-time promotional offers.
• Service: When their number is called, customers are served at the counter. Staff use the integrated scales system to weigh products, record details, and complete the order while seamlessly moving to the next customer.

Results

The combined solution delivered measurable benefits across Consum stores:

• Wait times were reduced from an average of 12 minutes to under 5 minutes, significantly improving customer flow and satisfaction.
• Customers experienced higher retention at counters with fewer walkaways, enhancing the overall service experience.
• Freed-up shopping time led to a 5-7% increase in basket size during peak hours, driving greater sales and revenue.
• The 2024 digital signage rollout has resulted in savings of approximately €1 million annually* by replacing printed posters with dynamic, real-time promotions.
• Consum’s adoption of digital signage has contributed to a reduction in paper waste and print-related costs, aligning with its environmental strategy and commitment to sustainability.

Conclusion

With Wavetec’s Queue Management System, Consum has set a new benchmark for modern retail efficiency in Spain. By transforming waiting into shopping time, empowering staff with data, and digitizing promotions, Consum was successfully able to enhance its customer satisfaction and reduce costs.

*Based on estimates.