Video
How one register position is costed, why shrink is deducted, and what three typical store set-ups save.
Worked examples
Each counts labour saved at current award rates, less 4% extra shrink on self-checkout sales. Divide your own quote by the weekly saving to see your payback.
Most smaller stores
Two self-checkouts replace the register opened at busy times, about 45 rostered hours a week.
$1,426 a week
Net saving, about $74,100 a year
Busier smaller stores
Two self-checkouts replace one register position, about 90 rostered hours a week.
$3,378 a week
Net saving, about $175,700 a year
Larger stores only
Five self-checkouts replace four registers staffed all trading hours, about 360 hours a week.
$13,566 a week
Net saving, about $705,400 a year
Method
Payback (weeks) = Your investment ÷ (Labour saved per week − Extra shrink per week)
The calculation is deliberately conservative. It counts labour savings only, gives no credit for extra sales, values shrink at retail price and leaves out payroll tax. Savings only count when hours come off the roster; hours a team member spends on other duties add capacity, not savings.
| Assumption | Value used |
|---|---|
| Award | General Retail Industry Award 2020 (MA000004), Retail Employee Level 1, adult casual, from 1 July 2026 |
| Weekday, before 6pm | $34.76 an hour |
| Weekday after 6pm, and Saturday | $41.72 an hour |
| Sunday | $48.67 an hour |
| Trading hours per register | 90 a week: Mon to Fri 7am to 9pm, Sat 7am to 6pm, Sun 9am to 6pm |
| On-costs | 12% superannuation, 1.5% workers’ compensation (varies by state) |
| Extra shrink | 4% of self-checkout sales |
| Self-checkout sales | $1,880 a day for two units, from published Australian independent grocery pilots |
Sources: General Retail Industry Award pay rates 2026/27; ECR Retail Loss self-checkout findings, 2026. Every assumption can be changed in the calculator above.
Throughput
Two EM SCO-F lanes overseen by one team member can handle about 80 to 120 transactions an hour, compared with 40 to 60 at a single staffed register. The gain comes from lanes working side by side, not faster scanning: per item, customers scan more slowly than a trained cashier.
EM SCO-F
A full self-checkout with AI product recognition, an 18.5 or 21.5 inch touchscreen and EM Cloud™ pricing on every lane.
We’ll work through your roster, front-end layout and quote with you, and show you EM SCO-F in action.
