Mashgin Launches Power Counter, Redefining C-Store Efficiency

The convenience store industry operates on a straightforward premise: speed.

Yet, a long checkout line remains the Achilles' heel for many retailers. That brief queue can be the difference between a spontaneous buy and a frustrated customer walking out empty-handed. Friction at checkout can heavily reduce your store conversion rate, or the number of people who stop at your store versus those who actually buy something. A study by Bluedot found that 54% of convenience store shoppers will leave your store if the line is 3 or more, dramatically reducing sales during critical rush periods.

Mashgin was founded on the idea of getting rid of this friction, and our AI checkout system already does a great job of dramatically reducing ring up time and lines. However, as we worked with retailers we noticed that a significant number of transactions still need a human touch, and our original kiosk's form factor leaves limited space for that in retail environments where staff need to be on the opposite side of the counter. 

To tackle this challenge we've built Power Counter. This isn't just an upgraded kiosk; it's a fundamental rethinking of the checkout experience designed to maximize both customer throughput and store efficiency.

The Metrics That Matter: Revenue and Labor

In the hyper-competitive world of convenience retail, efficiency is measured in seconds and dollars. The gold standard for operational health is transactions per labor hour. According to the NACS State of the Industry Report, the industry benchmark is around 16.1 transactions per labor hour (based on 2024 data). Raising this number is key to profitability, as it means each employee is processing more purchases, increasing sales without ballooning staffing costs.

The traditional cashier-to-customer model is inherently one-to-one, capping throughput. While the original Mashgin self-checkout kiosk sped up the transaction (ringing up items in under a second), it still often operated as a self-service island.

The Power Counter: Combining High-Speed AI with High-Touch Service

The new Power Counter form factor is the game-changer. It transforms the AI checkout system from a self-service kiosk into an integrated counter solution that enables a single employee to manage multiple customers simultaneously.

Here’s how it works:

• Instant Ring-Up: Customers place their items on the counter, and Mashgin's computer vision instantly identifies everything—no barcodes, no searching.
• Hybrid Service: The cashier stands at the counter, overseeing the Mashgin devices. They can let multiple customers instantly ring themselves up and pay electronically.
• Targeted Intervention: For high-touch situations like age-restricted items (tobacco or alcohol), the cashier is already present. They can instantly verify an ID for one customer while others pay for their coffee and snacks.

This combined approach allows the employee to quickly switch between overseeing self-service and providing necessary assistance. The result? A single cashier can effectively serve four or more customers per minute during a rush, dramatically increasing your transactions per labor hour well beyond the NACS benchmark.

The Future is Fast and Fluid

The Power Counter dramatically improves store conversion rate by keeping checkout lines virtually nonexistent. More people who enter the store complete their purchase because the barrier (the line) is gone. Furthermore, by empowering staff to handle more throughput, the solution addresses the persistent labor challenge, shifting the cashier's role from manual item scanning to rapid customer flow management and compliance.

The Power Counter proves that the future of convenience retail isn't just about speed; it's about seamlessly blending human expertise with AI efficiency to deliver a truly frictionless experience that benefits both the customer and the bottom line. It's time to stop thinking of the counter as a bottleneck and start seeing it as a power center.

Power Counter is currently in Alpha testing with a variety of clients and will release fully in 2026. Reach out to our team if you'd like to be considered to launch a test location.