Self-service kiosks have been adopted in retail stores and many other businesses even before the advent of the pandemic. Today, they are only continuing to rise in popularity as customers prefer a contactless way to complete their purchases safely. By offering full self-service options, businesses can meet the demands of these growing customer segments and gain essential benefits that greatly help their staff and the entire store. Below, we go over these benefits and what makes them a must-have for retail.
Increased productivity and reduced overhead
One of the main benefits of self-service is the significant reduction in overhead costs. Instead of having staff man the checkout lines for four to eight-hour shifts just to cover a one to two-hour busy period, business owners could instead assign one staff member to oversee several self-checkout kiosks to assist customers when needed. This change leads to spending less time and money on cashiers.
Furthermore, self-service lets employees become more productive as they can be assigned value-added tasks that keep them busy, improving the customers’ experience throughout the workday. This investment rewards your customers and your employees, as the former enjoy a better experience while the latter do more interesting and satisfying work.
Safe, convenient, and efficient checkout process
Self-service checkouts provide customers with a more efficient means of completing their purchases and largely reduce the average wait times in stores. This is particularly important amid the current pandemic and its social distancing constraints, as well as future flu seasons, to quickly get customers flowing in and out of the store.
The expedient checkout process of self-service kiosks also helps in allowing customers to make their purchases with little to no personal interactions, ensuring everyone’s safety. Last but not least, the convenience of self-checkout and the flexibility it offers when there are long waiting times is something that all customers appreciate. This reduces and prevents the chances of bad shopping experiences, such as having to deal with long lines. In such cases, there is also the likelihood that customers will leave without buying anything.
Better use of space
Most stores know just how important it is to utilise floor space as efficiently as possible. Well-designed self-checkout kiosks help make the most out of every inch in your store, thanks to their small footprint. Due to their smaller size, self-service kiosks can allow for more checkout stations in a smaller space compared to traditional checkout counters, freeing up more space for things like product showcases that help increase sales at the storefront where there is high customer traffic and where the productivity of the space is most profitable.
Conclusion
As more people gravitate toward online shopping, it is vital for retail stores – especially those without a digital storefront – to ensure they can provide a hassle-free and convenient experience for shoppers that still prefer making physical purchases. Self-service checkout is one such aspect of this, which is why investing in them is indispensable in today’s market.
For the best self-checkout kiosks, Edgeworks Solutions is the one you can depend on. Our kiosks are specially designed to provide a seamless, quick, and hassle-free way for customers to check-out their purchases. We also offer a Self-Payment Cash Recycle Machine that manages cash withdrawals and deposits in a safe and secure manner. Combined with our enhanced POS solutions, you can continue staying competitive, meet the changing demands of customers, and better manage your operations all at once. To learn more about our services and products, including an inventory control system in Singapore, do not hesitate to get in touch with us today.
