Self-checkout used to be the domain of large supermarket chains with dedicated IT teams. That is no longer the case. The same core system that powers your staffed registers can run self-checkout lanes, sharing one catalog, one set of prices and one back office.
The benefit is throughput. During peak hours, a couple of self-checkout lanes let customers with small baskets get out quickly, which frees your staff to help shoppers who need it. You handle more customers without adding more registers.
Weighed items and barcodes work the same way they do at a staffed lane, so produce, deli and bulk goods ring up correctly. Because everything runs on one platform, a price change updates everywhere at once.
For a smaller store, the appeal is simple: you get the convenience customers now expect, without buying a separate system or rebuilding your checkout from scratch.