How an easy-to-use supermarket scale and printer can reduce shrink save time

Reducing loss at the checkout is a huge concern for supermarkets today, with shrink costing the Australian retail sector an average total shrink rate of 1.6% in 2019. These losses, caused by theft, human error and item misidentification, equate to less profit for the supermarket. And at a time when supply chain and logistics costs are soaring, every process efficiency and loss prevention step counts. The real step change comes when you find one solution that has more than one use.  

The retail technology landscape is changing, and so is the checkout process. Retailers are getting wise to the benefits of smarter technology by implementing technology solutions that can tackle multiple areas of inefficiency, reduce operating costs and give customers an optimal experience.

Speed up and smooth out the self-checkout

The self-checkout gives customers a choice in how they checkout. It has allowed them to skip long queues and be in and out of the store quickly. It has allowed retailers to divert staff to more customer-facing roles, no longer tied to the point of sale. However, loss at the self-checkout continues to be a problem – up to $3.37 billion was lost to shoplifters in 2019.  

The Tiliter AI Scale + Printer can help in a couple of ways.  

Customers use the AI Scale to weigh and identify their fresh produce and bulk items, print the barcode label and attach it to their item. That means their produce is already labelled when they get to the self-service checkout, so they can simply scan it with their other goods for a faster, less clunky checkout experience.  

Along with added convenience for the shopper of having their items pre-labelled and ready for scanning, the AI Scale technology also works as the retailers second pair of eyes. If a shopper places an organic avocado on the scale but selects an onion, there’s an option for the retailer to flag this in real-time with shoppers so they can select the right item.

In cases where the shopper ignores the on-screen flag and proceeds with the transaction for an onion instead of an organic avocado, this can then send an alert to store staff that a fraud transaction has taken place, providing the opportunity for an intervention to prevent the loss from happening.  

Every transaction on the AI Scale is visible through the Tiliter Portal. So retailers can assess the fraud percentage on specific categories & items and beef up their loss prevention strategy.

The AI Scale + Printer is a streamlined and robust way to keep the self-checkout option but make it work better for consumers and retailers alike.  

Reduce queuing, loss and dissatisfaction at the checkout

Loss at the checkout is also an issue. Cashiers have 1000s of PLU codes to remember; categories change with the seasons and availability. It’s easy to make a mistake.  

By getting customers to use the AI Scale to automatically identify and label their fruit and vegetables before they get to the checkout lane, the cashier no longer needs to enter the PLU manually. No more chance of error. And a considerable time saving for the cashier too.  

With no PLUs to remember, retailers can spend less time (and money) training new staff and offer staff a more satisfying way to work.  

Plus, shoppers will enjoy a faster checkout experience.

Increase speed and efficiency for online order fulfilment

The AI Scale + Printer benefits don’t stop at the checkout. Supermarkets are well and truly all-in when it comes to online ordering and delivery. Traditional online ordering was common, with customers booking delivery slots in advance. But the pandemic has accelerated this market sector, and the battle to offer a faster, more flexible eCommerce solution is playing out before our eyes.  

Using the same technology solution, the AI Scale + Printer, supermarket store pickers can identify fresh produce and bulk goods quickly and automatically. They don’t need to enter a PLU or weight manually. All the item info is encoded into the barcode label, which can either be scanned onscreen with the picker’s handheld scanner or printed and attached to the item for quick checkout. A more satisfying and efficient experience for staff. Faster order fulfilment for the customer. And reduced loss from accurate identification for the retailer.  

Interested in the supermarket scale that can do it all? Contact us for more information