POS, Scale Integration, and Price-Embedded Barcodes: A Guide for Bulk Food Stores

In a bulk food store, much of what you sell is priced by the pound. That makes the connection between your scales and your point-of-sale system one of the most important parts of checkout. Here's how scale integration and price-embedded barcodes work, and what to ask before you choose a system.

Two ways bulk food items get weighed

• At the register: the cashier weighs the item on a scale connected to the POS, and the POS reads the weight and calculates the price.

• Before checkout: staff weigh and label items in advance on a label-printing scale. The label carries a barcode with the price built in.

Most bulk food stores use both. Pre-packed items speed up checkout, while register weighing handles customers who fill their own bags.

What is a price-embedded barcode?

A price-embedded barcode stores the item's price inside the barcode itself. When it's scanned, the POS reads the item code and the price from the label instead of looking up a fixed price. Our guide to reading scale barcodes walks through the format.

What to look for in a POS scale integration

• Direct integration with the scale brands you use. StoreLIVE! integrates with Hobart, Ishida*, and Mettler-Toledo scales.

• Support for price-embedded barcodes, so pre-packed items scan at the correct price and calculate the quantity being sold accurately.

• One item database, so prices and details stay consistent between the scale and the register.

• Quick menus for items that don't have a barcode.

• Label and barcode printing for items and shelves. StoreLIVE!'s label engine works with many ZPL-capable printers.

Keeping product information current

Bulk food catalogs change often. StoreLIVE! can import product information from bulk food distributors such as Dutch Valley Food Distributors and Walnut Creek Foods, including costs, ingredients and nutrition facts, so you don't have to retype them.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need new scales to switch POS systems?

Not always. Many stores keep their existing scales. We'll check your scale models as part of a compatibility review.

See weighing and label scanning in action

Schedule a StoreLIVE! demo and bring a list of your scale models. We'll show how weighed and pre-packed items move through checkout.

*Ishida scale integration requires the ScaleLink Pro Software from Rice Lake Weighing Systems and Ishida.