Tiv Taam Introduces Weight-Based Checkout to Replace Traditional Cash Registers

Tiv Taam supermarket chain is rolling out a new checkout system that eliminates traditional cash registers by scanning products as they are placed into the shopping cart. At the end of the shopping trip, customers simply place their cart on a large scale to finalize the purchase and pay. This innovative system has already been implemented in two branches, located in Drorim Mall and Ramat Hahayal, and is expected to replace nearly all existing registers across the chain’s 10 branches within the next 6 to 8 months, including smaller neighborhood stores, with the exception of one staffed register per store.

The technology is similar to a system already offered by another Israeli chain, Osher Ad, where customers can scan items with a handheld device during shopping. However, Tiv Taam’s approach is more comprehensive, aiming to make this the primary checkout method rather than an optional one.

Tiv Taam attributes this shift largely to a severe shortage of cashiers in the retail sector, noting that while foreign workers have helped alleviate staffing issues, they are not permitted to operate cash registers under Israeli law. The new system is thus seen as a critical operational solution rather than merely a convenience upgrade for customers.

Additionally, the space freed up by removing traditional registers will be used to open "Mizrah U'Ma'arav" brand stores, which are owned by the same group as Tiv Taam.