4 Reasons to Implement Self-Checkout at Your Grocery Store

People will always need to shop at grocery stores — it’s an essential errand. But is your grocery store keeping up with the latest industry trends and, more importantly, customer expectations? 

Buyers want the most up-to-date experience — and in 2023, that means the option for self-checkout. It’ll improve the experience for you and your customers.

Here are four reasons to implement self-checkout at your grocery store.

Amp Up Your Grocery Business Operations

Self-checkout lanes take up much less space than traditional cashier-run stations, so you can easily open up more opportunities for transactions. 

Set up additional lanes, or replace an existing cashier-run lane — you can typically expect to fit about four to six self-checkout lanes in the space taken up by a traditional one. And more lanes mean more transactions.

You don’t have to worry about hiring extra hands when you’re ready to scale your business, either, which is especially important when you think about the current labor shortage. With self-checkout, you can increase your capacity to serve customers, ultimately boosting profits.

Expand Your Retail Grocery Space

Are you content with the number of lanes you currently have set up? Think about downsizing your checkout area. 

Can you replace two of your traditional lanes with up to 12 self-checkout kiosks? You’ll not only increase the number of lanes, you’ll open up more space to place inventory. Consider setting up more produce at the front of your store, or low-selling items that don’t otherwise get much attention.

Decrease the size of your checkout area, and increase the amount of product your customers can purchase, so you can add even more to your bottom line.

Improve the Employee Experience

You can’t control your customers’ attitudes, but you can influence your employees by creating a pleasant work environment. And although it’s a large part of the job description, standing for hours and dealing with difficult customers can be exhausting.

Opening more self-checkout lanes will shorten lines at cashier-run lanes, and will reduce the pressure of speedily keeping up with long lines. They won’t have to worry as much about mistakes and customer complaints because they can take their time — this is especially important during high-traffic times like the holidays.

Reduce stress for your employees. When they don’t feel overworked and underappreciated, they’ll be encouraged to work harder — increasing overall productivity.

Keep Your Customers Happy

The number one reason to set up self-checkout? Customer satisfaction.

Customers can’t stand long lines, and many will avoid shopping at stores where they know they’ll have to wait a while. They expect top-tier service, and they should get it. By increasing your self-checkout options, you’ll improve your customers’ in-store experience.

The science backs this up, too — 73 percent of American consumers say that they prefer to have self-checkout options when shopping at a brick-and-mortar store.

And if your customers are happy, they’ll be much more likely to return and become loyal customers, which can have a huge impact on your overall revenue. 

Upgrade Your Grocery Store With Self-Checkout

If you’re ready to modernize your grocery store, it’s time to add self-checkout to your small business experience. You’ll keep customers and cashiers content, and you’ll boost your ability to increase profits.

To learn more about the best point of sale system to turn into a self-checkout kiosk, schedule a demo with one of your IT Retail specialists today!