A price checker (also known as a microkiosk, information kiosk, information terminal, information terminal, commercial terminal) is a retail equipment where customers can find out the price of goods and other information by scanning the barcode from the product label. Price checkers are also used in salesrooms to inform customers about promotions, contests, store discounts, etc.
What information does the price checker show?
Depending on the model, the price checker can display the following information:
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Product price
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Quantity of goods in stock
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Additional information about the product: characteristics, trademark, product warranty, etc.
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Marketing information: product photos, promotions, discounts.
Why do entrepreneurs buy price checkers?
If a price tag is forgotten or the label is lost or damaged, customers get nervous, irritated, turn to the sellers at the checkout, which increases the queue and customer service time, call for consultants, distracting them from current tasks such as laying out the goods, receiving the goods, etc., and sometimes customers simply refuse to buy the goods, go to another store and leave bad reviews. The absence of a price tag or inaccurate information about a product affects the customer's decision to purchase it and can lead to a conflict situation and the return of the goods. To avoid such situations, entrepreneurs install an information terminal.
Entrepreneurs install information terminals in their stores to:
✔️ Increase business profitability — the price checker shows information about the product, its price, and thus helps to reduce the percentage of refusals, returns, and increase the number of positive reviews.
✔️ Improve the quality of service and reduce the number of customer complaints.
✔️ Reduce queues at the checkout and serve customers quickly, as customers do not need to contact salespeople to clarify product information.
✔️ Reduce staff workload and keep them focused on their current tasks.
✔️ Expand your customer base and increase sales — Customers are very different. Someone will gladly talk to the seller at the checkout and buy the product, while someone will go to another store rather than contact the seller again if there is no price tag. The presence of a price checker gives the customer a choice — to ask for help or to find out about the product on their own. This expands the store's customer base and increases the number of purchases.
Advantages of price checkers for customers:
A price checker is convenient. It saves time not only for sellers, but also for customers: — In the absence of a consultant, the customer does not need to wait for an employee, he can check the price, read product information, find out the terms of promotions and discounts, view new products, etc.
How does the price checker work?
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An accounting program is installed on the information terminal, and the terminal is connected to Wi-Fi to exchange data with the accounting system on the user's main computer.
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The device accesses the product catalog with product information via the Internet.
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When a barcode is scanned, the price checker displays information about the product: price, dimensions, photos, and any other information included in the product catalog.
How to work with a price checker?
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The customer brings the barcode to the built-in scanner.
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The scanner reads the barcode from the label.
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Information about the product from the database is displayed on the terminal screen.
Types of price checkers
Handheld — portable small devices. They are mainly used by store employees to check prices on shelves, correct labeling of goods, and discounts on goods.
Stationary — placed on shelves, special racks, attached to the wall, shelving in stores. These microkiosks are used by customers to check prices and other product information.
What is the difference between price checkers? Comparison of microkiosks
The following characteristics may differ in price checkers:
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Types of barcodes recognized — linear 1D barcodes, 2D QR codes.
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Case and display dimensions.
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Display type — touch, LED, LCD, regular, color or not.
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Type of mounting and installation — microkiosk with and without a stand, tabletop price checker, with the possibility of wall mounting, handheld portable.
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Play audio and video.
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Built-in memory.
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Integration with accounting programs.
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Manufacturer, warranty — it is best when the manufacturer provides a warranty of 12 months or more.
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Price — prices for price checkers depend on the functionality. A good microkiosk with a color display, sufficient built-in memory, support for accounting programs, video and audio can be found in the region of 27-37 thousand UAH.
Where are information terminals used?
Trade — at the cash desk, for checking prices in the hall, self-service cash desks.
Scope of services — informing, viewing the catalog of services.
Warehouse accounting — displays the quantity of goods, has a built-in scanner.
How to choose the best price checker?
When choosing a price checker for your business, pay attention to the following criteria:
Business size and type
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The larger the assortment of the store and the flow of customers, the more you need a large memory, at least 2 GB, good information reproduction speed, and the ability to cooperate with accounting programs. Some models of price checkers have even up to 10 GB of memory and show not only the availability in the warehouse, but also the available quantity by product size.
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If you need a price checker for a small store, so that customers can only find out the price of the product, an inexpensive price checker model with a minimal set of functions and a small display will do.
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Microkiosks for large stores, departments in shopping centers, and supermarkets require models with more functionality, a color display, and preferably audio and video.
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It is very convenient for clothing stores or other dimensional goods when the price checker cooperates with the accounting system and shows not only the availability of goods, but also the quantity of goods by size by barcode. This way, both the customer and the seller can quickly check whether the desired size is available.
Who is the price-checker?
For employees to quickly check prices — a hand-held portable microkiosk will do.
For use by customers — It is best to choose a classic stationary information terminal with a large color display.
Ease of use and functionality, types of barcodes
Depending on how the goods are labeled on the shelves of your store, you need to choose a microkiosk that reads the corresponding barcodes from the labels — it is best when the price checker recognizes all types of barcodes and QR codes, including worn, crumpled, from glossy packages, etc.
To make the product information easy to view, pay attention to the size of the kiosk display, memory, and cooperation with accounting systems.
It is convenient when the screen is color, has a fairly large size, and the price checker connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi and to the accounting program, shows the quantity of goods in the warehouse by size, color, and model.
Integration with accounting programs
It is important that an automated accounting program can be installed on the price checker, which quickly exchanges data with the price checker, automatically downloads the nomenclature and updates product information. — To make sure that the price checker always shows the correct information about the product, prices and availability in the warehouse. Torgsoft specialists will help you install the Torgsoft accounting program on the terminal and configure the equipment if you purchase an information terminal in the Torgsoft online store.
Where will the price checker be located?
Pay attention to the method of attaching the equipment. Tabletop price checkers are placed on counters, tables, and salesperson's workstations, but they are not universal in terms of mounting. Wall-mounted micro kiosks can be attached anywhere in the store — to a wall, concrete lintel, shelf, etc. There are also price checkers with racks and stands for placement on the floor or table.
Price, reviews, rating, delivery
Today, on the Internet, you can find very cheap microkiosks starting at UAH 10 thousand, in the middle price category of about UAH 30 thousand, and expensive ones up to UAH 50 thousand. But for the purchase to be successful and for the price checker to contribute to the development of your business and increase profits, it is important that it performs all the functions you need, works quickly and without freezes, and always provides up-to-date information to customers, for which it is integrated with the accounting program. Therefore, evaluate the cost of the price checker according to the features it provides, review product reviews, ratings, and choose the best price-quality ratio for your business and capabilities.
When ordering goods in an online store or on a marketplace, pay attention to the method and cost of delivery, which delivery services the store cooperates with, and whether the equipment is delivered to all regions. — Torgsoft provides free delivery of information terminals by Nova Poshta throughout Ukraine. You can order goods on the website at any time around the clock.