Over the years, I've seen a rapid improvement in retail technology. One problem in retail today is the wait in a queue for people waiting to buy. This frustrates customers, leading to many lost sales.

Self-Checkout Technology

Self-checkout cash registers have become common in larger stores. Customers scan and bag their items and pay without a cashier. This retail innovation helps reduce queues and staffing needs, as one person can manage eight cash registers.

Benefits of self-checkout:

• Shorter wait times
• More checkout options during busy periods
• Reduced labour costs for retailers

Challenges with self-checkout:

• Some customers dislike using the technology, so you still need manned cash registers.
• These cash registers have high setup costs as they are expensive cash registers.
• It is not worth it for shops with low turnover.
• Higher rates of shoplifting. A recent study here of 5,000 transactions found that self-checkout lanes had 16 times higher shrinkage rates than traditional cashier lines. About 6.7% of self-checkout transactions had some amount of partial shrinkage versus just 0.32% with cashiers.

These are significant problems for retailers considering self-checkout technology. Several stores have removed their self-checkouts as a result. 

AI in Retail: The Next Frontier of Checkout

.One promising solution uses AI.

How AI-Powered Cashierless Stores Work

This "grab and go" approach eliminates the need for scanning, potentially reducing theft by automatically addressing shoplifting while creating a smoother checkout experience. I can see the potential here as someone who's worked closely with POS systems.

Conclusion

The retail landscape is changing. While queues and theft remain significant challenges, new technologies offer promising retail queue management and shrinkage prevention solutions. As a POS provider, we're committed to helping retailers of all sizes navigate this evolving terrain.

Have you experienced these new checkout technologies as a customer? What are your thoughts on the future of retail? If you are in Melbourne or Sydney, you can see it in operation where it is on trial at ten 7-Eleven Australia stores here: 

7-Eleven Cranbourne North (945 S. Gippsland Highway Cranbourne North)
7-Eleven Truganina (1/475 Leakes Road, Truganina Vic)
7-Eleven Craigieburn (264-270 Craigieburn Road Craigieburn Vic);
7-Eleven Doreen (8 Whitford Way Doreen Vic)
7-Eleven Tarneit (32 Escapade Street Tarneit Vic)
7-Eleven Braybrook (87 Ashley Street, Braybrook Vic)
7-Eleven Richmond (Building 2/658 Church Street, Cremorne Vic)
7-Eleven Burwood (Parramatta Road, Burwood, NSW)
7-Eleven Northmead (137 Windsor Road, Northmead NSW)
7-Eleven Graystanes (601 Great Western Highway, Greystanes NSW)

Time is Money, and customer frustrations cost.

We've all been there - you're trying to buy something quickly, but the line at the checkout counter is ridiculously long. As the minutes tick by, your impatience grows. You start doing that little shuffle from foot to foot. If the wait is too long, you leave. 

According to studies, many shoppers will only tolerate a 5-minute maximum wait in line before they get fed up and leave. I know I've often cut my losses and walked out of stores with excessive queues. Retailers live and die by giving customers a fast experience, so losing sales to long lines is a total non-starter.

The Need for Speedy Service

This is where touch-screen point-of-sale (POS) systems can be a game-changer. I'm not just talking about a minor convenience here - we've seen retailers who switch to touch-screen POS experience seriously accelerated checkout times, like 15% faster on average. That's the difference between an angry mob of grumpy shoppers and a smooth, zippy experience.

Let me give you a picture of how it works: your cashier has to tap the screen a few times to ring up items instead of struggling with a keyboard. Applying discounts, updating inventory, and taking payments all happen with just a couple of taps and swipes. Suddenly, cashiers can move customers through the line at much greater speeds.

A Touch-Screen POS is Intuitive for Anyone

Getting customers through the line lickety-split is the big selling point for touch-screen POS. But it's not the only way this technology can revolutionize your operations. Let's break down some of the other key upsides:

Fewer Mistakes

We've all been there—you're the cashier, and it's a problem that you enter the information and look at the keyboard, so you accidentally punch in an extra digit, and suddenly, there is an error. With a touch screen, you are looking at the order, not the keyboard and the whole order is right there visually on the screen in front of you. See a mistake? Just tap to fix it—no hunting and pecking required. Crisis averted.

Intuitive Operations for Everyone

Few of us are one of those wizards who learned proper touch typing. For the rest of us mere mortals, trying to cashier on those is just asking for input issues. Tapping icons on a bright screen is infinitely more intuitive and natural.

Unlocking Team Efficiency

When your POS is easy to use, staff can quickly get up to speed on running the system. The visual layout and flow allow them to modify orders rapidly, apply discounts, and access additional functions without memorising endless button combinations. That means less dedicated training time and more productivity on day one.

Simple human factors like ease of use, accuracy, and efficiency pay huge dividends. A touch-screen interface eliminates many headaches, hassles, and mistakes that plague retail businesses. Your customers enjoy a better experience, your employees operate more effectively, and your bottom line gets a serious boost.

The current reality

The bottom line is that touch-screen POS cuts down on wait times and avoids mistakes, giving every customer a VIP checkout experience. That's how you build loyalty and keep those hard-earned sales returning through your doors.  

These are lovely touch screens with customer displays included, too.

Outdated technology should not be holding you back. Upgrade to a cutting-edge touch-screen POS system and start delivering the exceptional customer experience your shoppers deserve. Request a quote now.