For years, retailers have worked to make the self-checkout process as speedy and seamless as possible. That makes sense. In the grocery industry, self-checkout makes up nearly 40% of the checkout options, and that figure is expected to triple by 2027. From self-checkout kiosks in apparel stores and restaurants to RFID scanner gates to sensors and AI in Amazon Go stores, retailers are leveraging technology to make it as fast and convenient as possible for customers.

By its very nature, self-checkout offers room for more engagement. Typically, unless there’s a question or problem during the self-checkout process, there isn’t an opportunity for customer interaction with the retailer or brand. At one of the last touchpoints a consumer has in the store, the most personalized engagement they get is a printed coupon. The self-checkout process is ripe with the opportunity to change this. In addition to retailers thinking of self-checkout as being seamless, fast, and convenient, it can also be a critical place to build customer engagement and further relationships with shoppers.