Self-checkout kiosks (SCO) are increasingly used by the various sectors of activity and, in addition to attracting more and more customers, they bring benefits and profit to the owners of the establishments.

The successful use of SCO kiosks can differentiate an establishment from its competitors, making the payment process simpler, faster and more effective. Taking into account that nowadays people avoid long queues and try to enjoy a better experience in the purchase process, self-checkout kiosks are the perfect solution.

According to a Consumer Reports study, 75% of the people interviewed said they liked SCO kiosks because they save time. Thus, there is a trend towards automation and a growing popularity of self-checkout kiosks. Moreover, according to a Reportlinker report, the SCO kiosks market is expected to grow with a Compound Annual Growth Rate – CAGR of 13.8% over the next six years.

The self-checkout kiosks, which allow the user to carry out all stages of purchase independently – from the registration of products to their weighing and payment – are easily adapted to any environment. Developed to meet and modernize the sales process, SCO kiosks have the necessary resources for a more autonomous and faster payment.

Offering a wide variety of payment options, self-checkout kiosks include credit cards and mobile payments, as well as a touch screen, bar code reader and credit card reader. The self-checkout can also be easily configured so that the reader can choose the desired language.

The evolution of technological solutions allied to the users’ need for speed and efficiency has made the use of self-checkout kiosks more common. Interactive and dynamic, SCO kiosks require a sophisticated construction, an exclusive design, integrated systems and state-of-the-art technology.

The benefits of SCO kiosks

In view of the growing popularity of this equipment, here are some advantages that can and should be highlighted:

1 – Efficiency and quickness

Besides ending traditional queues and saving time, self-checkout kiosks make customers more satisfied with their shopping experience because of the quickness and efficiency they are provided. Even in periods/hours of larger affluence, customers are able to register and pay for products in less time.

2 – Increase in sales

The establishments with self-checkout kiosks are able to increase their sales by approximately 10% in a period of 90 days. With the evolution of technologies, it is natural that these equipments can attract more clients. Consequently, and as the users have a more positive buying experience, the customer’s loyalty is increased.

3 – Reduced labor cost and increased productivity

Since there is no need for one person at each self-checkout kiosk, there is a reduction with labor costs. However, given the fact that this point can be the target of discord, employees have time to devote themselves to other more important tasks, which translates into an increase in productivity. In addition, there is a reduction in human errors.

4 – Self-checkout kiosks occupy less space and modernize the establishment

Since five or six SCO kiosks can replace a traditional system, it is possible to recover some physical space through these equipments. This advantage is especially noticeable in smaller establishments.

5 – Improving the customer experience

With higher transaction velocity, ease of use and efficiency, customers feel more satisfied and are more likely to return to the establishment at another opportunity.

6 – Attending more customers

Besides feeling more involved in this process, 39% of the users stated that the use of these kiosks ends up making the attendance faster – which translates into the attendance of a larger number of clients.

7 – Less waiting time in queues

With self-checkout kiosks, clients don’t have to wait too long in lines, avoiding feelings of frustration and/or impatience.

8 – Fewer losses

About 30 to 50% of a store’s losses are related to thefts. However, at an SCO kiosk, there are not so many risks of theft or fraud.

In this way, self-checkout kiosks help companies in various ways – whether it’s to make more profit or to modernize their space and assign more important tasks to their employees. At the same time, customers don’t need to get bored in queues and can save time.