One Kiosk. Two Shopping Journeys. A Smarter Store Experience.
How clearWare combined self-checkout and self-ordering to reduce pressure on store teams and create a scalable customer experience.
THE PROBLEM
Previously, all purchases had to pass through traditional cash desks. During busy periods, long queues formed while employees handled product sales, payments, and bar orders at the same time.
​
The bar-ordering process created an additional challenge. Cashiers had to call out each order to the preparation team across a busy and often noisy store.
This made incoming orders difficult to follow, increased the risk of miscommunication, and placed even more pressure on already overloaded employees.
​
The client needed a solution that could:
-
Give customers an alternative to traditional cash desks
-
Reduce pressure on store employees during busy periods
-
Replace verbal bar orders with a clear digital workflow
-
Support both packaged products and freshly prepared items
-
Connect with the systems the business already used
-
Scale across multiple store locations
​
A standard self-checkout system was not enough. The client needed to combine two different experiences – self-checkout and self-ordering – within one customer journey.
THE SOLUTION
clearWare designed and developed a custom self-service kiosk that allows customers to purchase packaged products and order food and drinks in a single transaction.
​
Customers can scan product barcodes, browse the digital bar menu, and add prepared items to the same basket. They can then review the complete order and pay by card directly at the terminal.
​
Once the payment is completed, the sale is automatically transferred to the client’s existing systems. If the order contains food or drinks from the bar, the relevant information appears immediately on a dedicated screen for the preparation team.
​
No shouting across the store. No handwritten notes. No separate ordering process.
​
The bar team receives a structured view of incoming orders and can clearly see what needs to be prepared. At the same time, customers move through one consistent journey – from scanning their first product to completing the payment.
The solution includes:
​
-
A customer-facing self-service kiosk
-
Barcode scanning for packaged products
-
A digital menu for prepared food and drinks
-
One basket for retail products and bar orders
-
Scanning loyalty cards and vouchers
-
Secure card payments
-
Integration with the client’s existing systems
-
Automatic transfer of bar orders to the preparation team
-
Centralized management of products, menus and sales information
-
A scalable setup for additional stores and terminals
​
clearWare managed the complete delivery process, including
discovery, UX/UI design, software development, integrations, testing, deployment, training, and ongoing support.
HOW THIS WORKED
The project succeeded because the solution was designed around the realities of the client’s business – not around the limitations of a standard product.
​
The company’s founder, store employees, and technical representative each brought a different perspective to the project. Management focused on the long-term customer experience, employees understood the practical challenges of daily store operations, and the technical side had to consider the existing infrastructure and integrations.
​
clearWare helped turn the different requirements and opinions into a shared solution. We worked closely with the stakeholders throughout discovery, design, development, and testing, incorporating feedback from the people who would use the system in real store conditions.
​
Three decisions were particularly important:
-
Combining two journeys into one: Customers do not need separate processes for packaged products and bar orders.
-
Integrating with existing systems: The kiosk works as part of the client’s wider operation instead of becoming another disconnected tool.
-
Starting small and scaling gradually: Launching with one terminal allowed the client to validate the concept, collect feedback, and refine the experience before expanding.
​
This approach reduced the risk of introducing a new in-store process and ensured the solution was practical for both customers and employees.
Following a successful pilot in one store, the client expanded the solution to two additional locations – tripling its self-service footprint and establishing a repeatable model for further rollout.
The solution now supports a complete customer journey that previously required several manual steps.
For store teams, bar orders have moved from verbal communication to a structured digital workflow. Each new order is automatically displayed to the preparation team, making requests easier to follow and reducing the risk of orders being missed or misunderstood.
The solution has delivered:
-
A threefold expansion from the initial pilot
-
Successful deployment across multiple store locations
-
One connected journey for self-checkout and self-ordering
-
An additional checkout channel during busy periods
-
Less pressure on traditional cash desks and store employees
-
Faster and clearer communication with the preparation team
-
A scalable foundation for expansion to further locations
What started as a single-store pilot has become a proven multi-location solution that modernizes the customer experience while making everyday store operations more structured and efficient.
THE RESULT
3x
Increase in service capacity
2 in 1
Self-checkout
&
self-ordering
What Type of Companies Benefit from This
This type of solution is particularly valuable for businesses that operate busy physical locations and want to introduce self-service without replacing their entire existing infrastructure.
​
It is a strong fit for businesses that:
-
Experience queues during peak hours
-
Have employees managing several responsibilities at once
-
Sell both packaged and freshly prepared items
-
Depend on verbal or manual coordination between teams
-
Operate multiple locations or plan to expand
-
Need a solution adapted to their specific processes
Typical industries include:
The solution can be adapted to different retail and hospitality environments where customers purchase products, place orders, or use both services during the same visit.
​
Typical industries include:
-
Supermarkets and grocery stores
-
Health-food and organic retailers
-
Convenience stores
-
Bakeries and cafés
-
Quick-service restaurants
-
Food courts
-
Petrol stations with retail and food-service areas
-
Other multi-location retail and hospitality businesses
Whether you operate one busy location or a growing network of stores, the right self-service solution can create a faster customer journey and more efficient daily operations.
Our client is an European retailer operating multiple physical stores where customers can purchase packaged products and order freshly prepared food and drinks from an in-store bar.
This combination creates a more complex customer journey than traditional retail. A single visit may include scanning products from the shelves, selecting something from the bar and paying for everything together.
As the business expanded, the client wanted to offer a faster, more modern shopping experience without disconnecting the new solution from its existing systems and store operations.
THE CLIENT
