The Three Types of Grocery Store Self-Checkout Kiosks to Consider for Your Stores

Grocery store self-checkout kiosks have become a well-known fixture in the supermarket shopping experience. Labor shortages and shoppers’ increasing preference for self-service options have made self-checkout a necessity for grocers who hope to stay competitive. 

However, grocery store self-checkouts come in many shapes and sizes, with varying features and functionality. From streamlined, cashless kiosks to large, complex checkout machines with belts and scales, here are the most common types of grocery self-checkout to consider for your stores. 

Cashless grocery self-checkout

As a payment method, cash has rapidly been abandoned for credit, debit, and a number of other emerging ways to pay. As of 2021, cash only accounted for 19% of transactions. With the reduced usage of cash, many grocery stores have turned to cashless self-checkout options as a way to put several, small-footprint checkout kiosks in one location to reduce lines. 

Fleets of smaller, cashless self-checkout kiosks can take a range of payment methods, from credit/debit to “Tap to Pay” on your smartphone. Many even accept payments via scanning a QR code. 

Cashless grocery store self-checkout kiosks can also integrate with a range of printers and payment terminals to match your existing store infrastructure. This flexibility creates an advantage over legacy systems that can be difficult or impossible to integrate with your existing infrastructure. 

Lightweight self-checkout systems

Lightweight systems are similar to cashless systems in that they have a small physical footprint. However, they can often have some features that make the checkout experience easier for shoppers with large or heavy items. Handheld scanners and convenience shelving are often included in this type of self-checkout. The shelving can be particularly important for smaller-to-mid-sized stores where shoppers carry baskets while they shop. 

Full-sized supermarket self-checkout kiosks

For stores that want to automate the checkout process for shoppers with full carts, a full-sized self-checkout kiosk might be a good option. With conveyor belts, cash boxes, and integrated scales, full-sized checkout kiosks let shoppers accomplish a range of checkout tasks. 

The wide range of functionality can be beneficial for customers, but they also take up a large amount of floor space and are a huge upfront investment. Deploying a fleet of lightweight self-checkout kiosks might be a more cost-effective way to reduce lines and offset labor shortages before making the move to automating the full checkout experience. 

Utilizing multiple types of checkout in your stores

Different shoppers have different needs at checkout. Some prefer interacting with an associate, whereas others just have a few items and want to be in and out of the store as quickly as possible. For these reasons, the best self-checkout strategy for your store might include a fleet of two or more types of grocery self-checkout kiosks. 

Aila’s Self-Checkout Kiosk for grocery stores

Aila’s Self-Checkout Kiosk is trusted by tier-one retailers for checkout, returns, price checking, deli order, and more. With integrations for leading payment providers (Ingenico, Verifone) and printers (Epson, Star), the Interactive Kiosk provides a fast, flexible, and intuitive way to enable self-checkout in your stores. Check out the Self-Checkout product sheet to learn more: