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 in favor of weight-based scanning technology. Instead of scanning each product at the register, customers will scan items as they place them in their shopping carts. At the end of the shopping trip, the entire cart will be weighed on a large scale to finalize the purchase. This system has already been implemented in two branches, located in Drorim Mall and Ramat Hahayal, and is expected to replace almost all conventional cash registers in 10 branches within the next 6 to 8 months, including smaller neighborhood stores. Only one staffed register will remain per store.

While similar technology exists in other Israeli chains like Osher Ad, where customers can optionally scan items with handheld devices, Tiv Taam’s approach is more comprehensive, aiming to make the weight-based checkout the primary method across its network. The chain attributes this technological shift largely to a severe shortage of cashiers in the retail sector. Tiv Taam currently lacks dozens to hundreds of cashier employees and notes that even the employment of foreign workers, who are not permitted to operate cash registers, has only partially alleviated the staffing crisis.

The new system is not only intended to improve customer convenience but also to address operational challenges caused by labor shortages. 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. This move represents a significant technological and operational transformation for the chain, expected to be fully implemented within a year.