self checkout
Kaufland rolls out AI produce scales in 23 Polish stores and tests a hybrid checkout
Kaufland has switched on AI-powered produce scales in 23 stores across Poland. The scale suggests what is on the pan from its appearance, and the shopper still confirms the choice before a label is printed. In one Polish store, the chain is also testing a hybrid checkout that can flip between self-service and a cashier.
Key takeaways
- AI produce scales are now in 23 Kaufland stores in Poland; the system suggests a product, and the shopper still has to confirm it.
- The scales can recognise produce inside a plastic bag. The first test began in Warsaw in November 2024.
- A hybrid checkout that switches between self-service and a staffed till is being tested in one Polish store.
- K-SCAN and Kaufland Pay are already available in every Kaufland store in Poland.
Why it matters
For shoppers, weighing fruit and vegetables can mean fewer taps through a menu, and a large trolley may not have to be scanned item by item. For retailers, it is a middle path between fully staffed tills and fully self-service ones: identify loose produce more quickly, and move staff to the baskets that need them, without removing every conventional checkout at once.
How the smart scales work
According to the Polish outlets Omnichannel News and Spider's Web, Kaufland has installed smart scales in the fruit and vegetable sections of 23 stores in Poland. The devices carry cameras similar to those on self-checkouts. An AI model suggests the likely product as a tile on the screen; the shopper selects the matching tile, and the scale then prints a barcode label. The process is not fully automatic, and a manual menu remains available.
The system can recognise produce even when it is inside a disposable plastic bag, the reports say. Larger tiles are intended to help people with poorer eyesight and older shoppers. Omnichannel News wrote that the scale continues to learn from subsequent weighings. It said the first test installation was switched on in Warsaw in November 2024, and that the system is now in 23 Kaufland stores in Poland.
Labels printed by the smart scales can be used at K-SCAN checkouts, so shoppers do not have to unpack the produce again at the till.
A hybrid checkout, still in one store
Spider's Web reported on 13 November that Kaufland is testing a hybrid checkout in one of its Polish stores. The till has an enlarged pack-off table and two modes. In one, customers scan their own shopping; turn the screen around, and a store employee takes over. Kaufland is also looking at how well the format works in other countries, not only Poland.
Spider's Web noted that a cashier can already help at a conventional self-checkout — for example to verify a shopper's age — but the default is still self-service. At a hybrid till, a member of staff could ring up a large trolley more efficiently, and in some cases the customer would not have to scan the goods.
Natalia Tyczyńska, director of the sales organisation department at Kaufland Polska, told Omnichannel News: "On some days a customer visits us for a few items, and on others they do a larger shop for the whole family. We want to give them a choice of the service that is most convenient in that situation. It is also important that they can use the new solutions at their own pace and know that a member of staff will help if needed. We are testing the new solutions in everyday store conditions, so we can assess how useful they are and refine the details before we decide on a wider rollout."
Scan-as-you-shop and app payments, already chain-wide
Both Omnichannel News and Spider's Web reported that K-SCAN and the retailer's own payment method, Kaufland Pay, are now available in every Kaufland store in Poland. K-SCAN lets members of the Kaufland Card XTRA programme scan items as they pick them, using the Kaufland app or a handheld scanner collected at the entrance, and place them straight into their own bags. The screen shows the scanned items and a running total. Payment is completed at a self-checkout without unpacking the bags to scan everything again.
Kaufland Pay lets shoppers register a debit or credit card in the app and pay with a QR code on their phone. Generating the code requires a PIN or another available method, such as biometrics. The service can be used at both staffed and self-service tills, and the reports say it is optional and free of charge.
Background
Several European grocers are testing two in-store ideas at once: computer vision to identify loose produce, and a redesign of self-checkout that tries to satisfy both shoppers who dislike scanning their own trolley and those who want a fast lane for a small basket. Kaufland's approach in Poland is to spread the smart scales to 23 stores first, while the hybrid checkout remains a single-store trial.
What to watch
- Whether the AI scales expand beyond the current 23 stores to the rest of Kaufland's Polish estate.
- Whether the single-store hybrid checkout is extended to more shops in Poland or in other countries.
- How often shoppers actually use the smart scales, K-SCAN and Kaufland Pay in a normal weekly shop.
Sources
Questions
Do the smart scales decide what I am buying automatically?
Not entirely. Both Omnichannel News and Spider's Web report that the scale suggests a product from its appearance, and the shopper still has to confirm the matching tile before a label is printed. A manual menu remains available.
Where can I use the hybrid checkout?
It is being tested in one Kaufland store in Poland. The till has an enlarged pack-off table. Shoppers can scan their own items, or a staff member can take over after the screen is turned around. Kaufland is still assessing the format.
How do the scales work with K-SCAN?
Labels printed by the smart scales can be scanned during a K-SCAN shop. K-SCAN is available in every Kaufland store in Poland, so shoppers can scan items at the shelf and pay at a self-checkout without unpacking their bags.
