TL;DR 📝

• Store operators are under pressure to move customers through stores faster while still increasing basket size

• Store associate driven upselling is inconsistent & often forgotten during peak times

• Staff prioritize speed, and every extra interaction slows down the line

• Deligo uses automated upsell prompts without adding friction to the checkout flow

• Every transaction becomes a consistent opportunity to recommend add-ons, promotions, or complementary items

• Retailers no longer have to choose between speed and larger baskets

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Margins thrive on the add-ons & upselling

Fast food works on a simple principle: give customers fast, reliable service and good-tasting food, and they’ll always come back for more. The same applies to retailers, who can increase returning customers and how much they’re willing to spend by delivering a consistent, fast shopping experience.

By catering to impulse purchases, retailers can drive consistent upsells and grow profit margins. But striking the right balance is tough. Retailers need a way to grow basket size without creating longer queues.

Why manual upselling doesn’t always work

The ideal employee is an all-rounder: capable of supporting customers, ensuring the store operates efficiently, and is capable of upselling at the point of checkout. At peak hours, staff focus on pushing transactions through as quickly as possible.

With every additional person in the queue, the opportunity for customers to add extra items drops.

As the line grows, both staff and customers shift their focus from discovery to speed. What could have been a quick upsell turns into a potential bottleneck, so the interaction is skipped and the basket stays smaller.

Upselling is often skipped during peak periods as staff focus on keeping the line moving, restocking shelves, and helping customers complete their purchases quickly. Attempting to upsell in these moments can introduce friction. Even a short interaction adds time to the transaction, and when queues are already building, that extra delay leaves other customers waiting - ultimately hurting the overall experience in the store.

Inconsistencies in staff experience, training, and high fluctuation further limit the likelihood of successful upselling, as unclear processes or a lack of training lead to awkward, unsuccessful attempts, or, worse, no upselling at all. 

Upselling has become secondary, being treated as a “bonus”, rather than a core role of staff members. It’s less important than ensuring more customers can purchase food and is left behind by many retailers out of sheer necessity. 

Retailers want bigger baskets and faster service for their customers, but manual upselling forces a trade-off between the two, resulting in faster service nearly always winning.

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Turning self-checkout into a sales channel

Avoiding this trade-off is simple; unlike staff with different training levels and responsibilities, visual self-checkouts are always consistent and scalable, removing the need for awkward interpersonal interactions between staff and customers.

With every transaction creating an opportunity to upsell, Deligo checkouts allow for automated prompts, based on a customer’s existing basket, shopping habits, and a range of customizable options unavailable to staff members, at a moment’s notice. 

Automatic upselling pop-up on Deligo Air

Because Deligo uses visual recognition, customers don’t need to scan items or search through menus to find products. Items are identified automatically the moment they’re placed at checkout, removing the small but frequent points of friction that slow traditional self-checkouts.

The time saved during this instant recognition creates space for contextual upsell prompts, without adding extra steps to the transaction. Retailers can maintain high throughput while still encouraging customers to add complementary items, increasing basket size without slowing the line.

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The self-checkout can be your best salesperson

The self-checkout is no longer just a payment point; it’s the final opportunity to influence basket size. When used properly, your self-checkout becomes the most consistent salesperson in your store, showing promotions, highlighting foodservice add-ons and doing so without adding pressure to staff or slowing customers.

Deligo integrates automated, on-screen upselling directly into its checkouts, built specifically for high-speed convenience environments.

By turning every transaction into a sales opportunity, retailers can grow basket size, throughput and support their staff, all at the same time. 🚀

Food service order on Deligo Air