Every technology and innovation has initially met with some resistance. But the world has seen that early adopters have benefited the most. Those who catch up early on rising trends stay relevant, profitable, and scale faster than competitors. One such technology making a fast wave across the retail sector is self-checkout systems.

These systems let shoppers scan, pay, and go without the need for billing counters. No wait lines, no queu

es, and hassle-free checkouts–these are customers’ new fascination and retailers’ true helpmates. In short, these systems are a valuable addition to the billing counters. And as their adoption scales in the next few years, they can also become a substitute for the billing counter.

This comprehensive guide is dedicated to explaining how smart retail solution self-checkout systems work in retail, their benefits, and how these are the future of retail space in India.

Traditional Billing Counter Checkouts: Long Wait lines

Before understanding self-checkout, let us first understand how traditional checkouts work:

In retail stores, especially supermarkets, hypermarkets, department stores, or even convenience stores, the traditional way of shopping is that customers pick their required products and put them into their shopping basket (cart). When done, they go to the billing counter. The billing counter person scans the product’s barcodes one by one and generates the bill. The customers pay the bill via cash, card, digital wallets, or UPI and leave the store.

Now if there is a line at the billing counter, the customers have to wait till their turn comes. In high-rush retail stores or during festive seasons these billing queues can be extremely annoying for customers.

“I have managed a convenience store for the past 5 years. I have seen that many times customers leave the store without buying due to long queues at the billing counter. Most of these customers are those who have picked only 3-5 items and do not want to wait in lines for their checkout. They leave and buy later or at other stores. Even those with large carts find it annoying if the billing counter line wait is more than three to five minutes, says one of our retail store clients

This is where self-checkout systems are required as an additional support system for billing counters.

What is Self-Checkout? How does it work?

Modern retailers who want their customers to have elevated shopping experiences without such annoyance often deploy self-checkout systems in their retail stores apart from the usual billing counters. These self-checkout systems are generally kiosks that let customers pay for their products via computer displays. Tech-savvy shoppers who are handy with such computer display interaction choose to pay via self-kiosks.

Self-checkout is a system that lets shoppers (at various retail stores, retail outlets, or even at some other service centers) make payment for their picked products/services by themselves and leave the store without visiting the billing counters.

Self-checkout systems are on the rise. This skip the line billing trend is getting popular among shoppers and retailers equally.

Types of Self-Checkout Systems:

1. Self-Service Kiosks:

These are systems with a computer display that are installed in retail stores. They act as a billing POS for the customers. Shoppers can scan their products with a barcode scanner machine, and see the added items on the virtual cart on the computer display screen. Customers can generate the bill, pay online, and leave the store.

2. Smart Trolley Checkouts

Smart shopping carts are equipped with tablets and inbuilt barcode scanners. These carts scan and add the product to the virtual cart directly. Customers can pay on the POS that is on the cart itself or at the counter. Smart Trolleys eliminate the need for billing counter interaction and ease checkouts for customers.

3. Mobile Self-checkouts

Customers use their smartphones to scan items as they shop and pay online via digital wallets, cards, and UPI. This system is becoming more popular with the rise of smartphone users. Mobile-based self-checkouts are easier than self-service kiosks and smart trolleys as they only need to operate their own smartphone.

Need for Mobile-Based Self-Checkout Systems

While self-checkouts are additional avenues for paying, the problem with self-checkouts is the interaction with computer display. Many retailers find it difficult to use the self-kiosks and often need help to pay with it. This fails the very purpose of self-kiosks. Only a few self-checkout kiosks are highly intuitive and can be used without hassle. However, recent mobile-based self-checkout systems address this problem. As every shopper knows how to use their smartphone, a mobile-based self-checkout is 10X more intuitive than self-kiosks.

Mobile-based self-checkouts are an advanced version of the self-checkout systems. They remove the tech barrier that prevents some shoppers from using the self-kiosks in retail stores. Also, even self-service kiosks can be crowded sometimes. This makes mobile-based self-checkouts a more convenient version of self-checkout systems.

We at VasyERP, surveyed more than 1000 retail shoppers at different retail stores in Ahmedabad, India. Our survey revealed that:

• 95% of shoppers didn’t like the billing wait time.
• 32% of shoppers leave the store if the billing wait time is more than five minutes or if all billing counters have a line of more than 5-6 people.
• 67% agreed that while they stood in waiting lines because they had already spent time picking the items, they thought twice before going to the same store again.
• 85% of shoppers indicated some kind of unhappiness with the billing counter experience.
• 40% of shoppers said the existing self-kiosks for self-billing at retail stores are complicated to understand. These people need help to bill at the sef-kiosk.
• 98% of shoppers responded that they would love to have a mobile-based self-checkout system. Only 2% said no, they like billing counters better.

Our survey revealed interesting facts on how customers perceive billing activity. While our product research team always looks to improve retail solutions to ease retailers’ lives and further enhance shopper experiences, this time our product research team had the Pandora’s box. They were already working on designing an innovative and futuristic self-checkout system, the shopper’s positive response to a mobile-based self-checkout was the key game-changer here.

As 98% of surveyed shoppers said they would like a mobile-based self-checkout system, we knew the launch would be taken positively and the feature would be shoppers’ love.

V-Checkout: A Mobile Self-Checkout System that Customers Love

V-Checkout by VasyERP is a mobile-based self-checkout system that works in the following way:

Shoppers visiting the retail stores usually shop as they do. They carry the physical shopping cart basket as they do normally. They also go around the aisle and pick their required items. Now just before putting the items in their shopping basket, shoppers open their mobile QR scanner (scanner is available on all smartphones) and scan the barcode of the product. This will add the item to their virtual cart.

Shoppers can continue shopping and keep adding items to their virtual cart by merely scanning the product’s barcode. Shoppers can also remove any item or add more while they are in the store. Once they complete the shopping and all items are added to the virtual cart, they can pay online and leave the store without even going to the billing counter. The various online payment methods including cards, UPI, digital wallets, etc.

What’s more?

V-checkout also works for those who do not have online payment methods. Shoppers can pay in cash at the counter too. This will still save the time the billing counter person would take to scan the items as the shopper has already scanned and added the items. Now just the payment thing is due.

This way V-checkout takes care of all shoppers with smartphones as the only thing required for V-checkout to work.

In the end, the shoppers can also generate the in-app receipt for their orders and manage orders in their app.

Benefits of Mobile-based Self-checkouts For Retailers

• No Billing Queue: Mobile-based self-checkout systems like V-Checkout let shoppers scan and pay for items with their phones, cutting out long waits. This quick process makes shopping easier and keeps customers happy.
• More Bills in Less Time: V-Checkout helps stores ring up more purchases in less time. The self-checkout system speeds things up, letting more customers buy quickly and boosting sales.
• Less Burden on Billing Staff: By automating checkout, V-Checkout lightens the load on cashiers. Employees can then focus on helping customers and managing stock, making the whole store run better.
• More Space Utilization: V-Checkout needs no space for a billing counter. It is where the customer is, freeing up floor space with fewer billing counters. Stores can use this extra room to show more products or create areas for customers to enjoy.
• Happy Customers: Customers love how fast and easy V-Checkout is. By making shopping smooth, stores can make shoppers happier and more loyal, leading to return visits and good reviews.
• Reduced Staff Costs: With fewer workers needed at checkouts, stores can save on wages. V-Checkout helps use staff wisely, letting businesses put money into other areas to grow.
• Reduced Hardware Costs: With such a self-checkout system retailers don’t need pricey checkout machines. Stores can save money on more POS hardware equipment, making it a cheap way to update how they handle sales.
• No Abandoned Carts Due to Wait Time: By cutting down wait times, V-Checkout makes it less likely shoppers will leave without buying. This leads to more sales, as customers finish their shopping without getting frustrated.
• More Footfalls: The ease of V-Checkout draws more people to the store. As shoppers enjoy buying without hassle, they’re likely to come back often, boosting foot traffic and overall sales for stores.

Benefits of Mobile-based Self-Checkouts for Shoppers

• Faster checkouts: Smartphone-based self-checkout lets shoppers skip long lines, making checkout faster and smoother. This quickness makes shopping more fun and less of a hassle. 
• Convenient Self-Scanning: Shoppers can scan items with their phones, adding them to a digital cart without fuss. This ease makes shopping simpler and cuts down on checkout hassles.
• Saves Time: By getting rid of lines, mobile self-checkout saves shoppers precious time. Customers can buy their stuff quickly. 
• Personalized Experience: Mobile self-checkout can give personal deals and promotions based on what shoppers buy. 
• Real-time Order Management: Shoppers can change their orders as they go. This feature gives more control over shopping and helps avoid mistakes.
• Flexible Payment Method: Mobile self-checkout lets shoppers pick how they want to pay, whether it’s with digital payment apps, UPI, cards, or cash.
• User-friendly: Made to be simple, mobile self-checkout is clear and straightforward. This means all kinds of shoppers can use it, even if they’re not tech-savvy.
• Digital Receipts: Shoppers get digital receipts, cutting down on paper waste and making it easy to track what they buy. This helps shoppers in refund processes. 

Self-Checkout is the Future of Smart Retail

Like how self-service kiosks for check-in and printing boarding passes reduced long waiting lines at busy airports, the self-checkout systems are bringing the same convenience to retail stores. Self-checkout systems are easing the lives of retailers by unburdening the billing counter pressures, especially during the festive times. They also solve limited staff issues.

The future of retail is marked by technologies and solutions that work towards providing immersive and convenient shopping experiences. Smart retail solutions like smart try-ons, smart mirrors, smart customer-facing displays, and self-checkout systems elevate shopper experiences like never before.

The global self-checkout system market size will grow at a CAGR of 15.6% by 2032.

Conclusion

Self-checkout systems are not standalone software solutions. They also have other features for retailers. For instance, retailers who implement V-checkout also get benefits that come with VasyERP retail software such as smart shopping carts, automated billing, GST billing, AI-based weight integration, objection detection systems, retail traffic analytics, and many more.

Smart retailers adopt and implement smart systems to ease their work and provide more comfort and convenience to their shoppers.

Want 10X speed of checkouts and no queue billing counters? Get a demo of how V-Checkout by VasyERP works now!