Retail Scales: What are the Best Scales for Retail Environments?

Introduction:

While all scales for retail must be trade-approved, there are different types, sizes, and capacities. To choose the right type of scales for your retail store, you’ll need to understand the advantages of each one, from electronic scales to label-printing scales, floor scales, and more. 

Retail requires accurate weights, whether it’s weighing your parcels to establish how much they’ll cost you in postal fees, or weighing products to ensure you’re charging customers the right price. 

Having accurate retail scales not only reduces the chance of you undercharging your customers and losing money, but also overcharging them, and risking your reputation for fairness. Whether you’re using scales to price items or weighing scales at point-of-sale spots, fairness and accuracy are crucial for consumer trust. 

This doesn’t just count for brick-and-mortar stores, either. Online stores benefit from being able to accurately weigh goods, not only to be able to upload precise weights and measurements to the product description, but also knowing how much you’ll pay for postage and packaging. 

With warehouses under pressure to pack up orders for retail environments with no errors, having access to accurate retail scales is a must. 

On the hunt for scales for your retail store? We’ve got you covered with a list of the best retail scales for your store. 

POS-Integrated Scales

Retailers with modern POS systems can purchase scales that actually integrate directly with those systems, resulting in a smoother and more automated workflow. 

These types of scales are most commonly found in butchers, bakers, fish mongers etc. where produce and bulk items are weighed at the register to guarantee accurate pricing without the risk of manual input errors and under or overpricing. 

Electronic Retail Scales

Electronic/digital scales are more reliable than their old-school analogue counterparts, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Super sensitive sensors mean you can enjoy precision and accuracy when placing an object on these scales to be weighed. 

Some electronic scales are even specially created to work well in retail environments, and these are the ones to look out for when purchasing retail scales for your store or warehouse. Portable electronic scales offer an affordable option for convenient scales you can take from place to place, perfect for weighing small and medium products. 

Label-Printing Scales

One of the most useful types of scales for a retail environment – especially for POS systems – is label-printing scales. These can be configured to create a label type of your choice to be printed when certain items are weighed. 

Label printing scales come in various shapes and sizes, but all have the capacity to print out a label when items are weighed. These scales can be used in customer-facing spaces, such as printing labels for fruits and vegetables or other items that are charged for per weight. 

On-Counter and Portable Scales

Some of the most commonly used scales in retail, on-counter and portable scales are perfect for use by retail workers and shoppers alike. These portable retail scales are convenient and flexible in their use cases. Plus, they tend to be more affordable than specialist trade scales or large floor scales. 

The biggest benefit is that they can be moved from spot to spot as your retail needs change, although they’re only suitable for small and medium items. 

Floor Scales

In retail, it’s inevitable that you’ll occasionally come across larger items you need to weigh, and this is where floor scales come in. Floor scales usually live in one space (although they can be portable), and they’re much taller and larger than on-counter scales, making them ideal for bigger objects. 

Floor scales can come in particularly handy in warehouses, where large boxes and packages need to be weighed without damaging the scales. Floor scales can be more costly than their countertop counterparts, but it’s worth paying the extra for the flexibility they offer. 

Where to Find Reliable Retail Scales

Whether you own a brick-and-mortar store or run an eCommerce business, you’ll benefit from adding retail scales to your repertoire of equipment. Buying from a third-party supplier rather than directly from a brand allows you to search through a wider range of options, with various brands for each price point in one place. 

At Scales and Balances, we’re home to scales that are perfect for retail stores and warehouses, from the production line to POS systems. With specialist trade-approved scales as well as a wide range of both floor and counter scales, you’re guaranteed to find something you like at a price point you’re happy with. 

The best part? Our expert team is on hand to advise you and help you find the best scales for your retail store, so if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, you’ll soon get help. Explore our range today.