What Smoke Shops Actually Need from a POS System in 2026
Danielle Dixon | 12 Min Read
Getting a customer to the checkout is only part of the sales opportunity. The few seconds before they pay can be just as valuable—especially when they’re already in a buying mindset.
That’s where a customer-facing display (CFD) can make a difference. Instead of using the screen solely to show transaction details, retailers can use it to promote products, highlight deals, and encourage customers to make one more purchase.
Modern point-of-sale (POS) hardware can make this even easier by building customer-facing displays directly into the checkout setup. Retailers can use them to show transactions, recommend products, promote loyalty programs, and display digital offers.
In this guide, we’ll explain how CFDs support checkout upselling, look at LANDI and FTx POS hardware, and share practical ways retailers can use customer-facing displays to promote products and offers.
Checkout can be more than the final step of a transaction. It can be another opportunity to engage customers and increase basket size.
Key Takeaways
- Customer-facing displays can turn checkout into another opportunity to promote products and increase basket size.
- Retailers can use CFDs for product recommendations, limited-time offers, bundles, and loyalty promotions.
- LANDI C20 Pro combines transaction and promotional content on a single 10.1-inch customer-facing display.
- FTx POS hardware uses dual displays and integrates with solutions such as FTx Uplift and FTx Digital Signage for targeted retail checkout promotions.
What Is Upselling at Checkout?
Upselling at checkout is the practice of encouraging customers to purchase an additional product, upgrade, or higher-value option before completing their transaction.
It doesn’t have to mean pushing a more expensive product. A good upsell can be as simple as recommending a related product that fits what the customer is already buying.
For example, someone purchasing a bottle of wine might see an offer for a second bottle at a discounted price. A customer buying cigars might be interested in a multi-pack promotion. Someone purchasing a particular nicotine pouch brand might appreciate knowing that a new product is on sale.
The goal is to make the suggestion useful and relevant while giving customers an easy opportunity to add something to their purchase.
Why Traditional Checkout Hardware Misses Upselling Opportunities
Traditional POS systems are built to do one thing well: get customers through the checkout process. The customer-facing screen typically focuses on transaction details, payment instructions, and the final total. While that’s important, it doesn’t leave much room for retailers to engage customers with additional offers.
That can mean missed opportunities to:
- Promote products and offers: Without promotional content on the customer-facing screen, customers may never see current deals, new products, or relevant add-ons.
- Encourage product discovery: Checkout could be a final opportunity to introduce customers to products they may not have noticed while shopping.
- Deliver personalized offers: A traditional display may not provide a way to show recommendations based on what the customer is purchasing.
- Upsell and cross-sell: Without relevant product suggestions, retailers lose an easy opportunity to encourage customers to add another item to their basket.
- Promote loyalty programs: Customers who aren’t already enrolled may complete their purchase without ever seeing an invitation or incentive to join.
The checkout process doesn’t have to be the end of the sales conversation. With a customer-facing display, retailers can use that final moment of customer attention to promote products, offers, and loyalty incentives before the transaction is complete.
Why Customer-Facing Displays Are Powerful Upselling Tools
A CFD puts promotional content directly in front of the customer at one of the most important points in the shopping journey: checkout.
1. Capture Customer Attention During Checkout
Customers are already looking at the checkout area while their purchases are being scanned and totaled. A customer-facing display gives retailers a natural place to present a timely message without requiring customers to browse another screen or look around the store.
A simple message such as “Add one more and save 20%” can catch attention at exactly the right moment.
2. Increase Average Order Value (AOV)
Even a small additional purchase can increase the value of an individual transaction. When those additional purchases happen consistently across hundreds or thousands of transactions, they can have a meaningful impact on overall sales.
CFDs give retailers another channel for encouraging those incremental purchases.
3. Create Consistent Upselling Experiences
Employees can’t mention every promotion to every customer. They have lines to manage, products to scan, and transactions to complete.
A customer-facing display can provide a consistent way to promote relevant products and offers throughout the day, regardless of which employee is working the register.
4. Improve the Customer Shopping Experience
Upselling works best when it feels helpful rather than forced.
A relevant recommendation can save customers time by reminding them about something they may have forgotten or introducing them to a product that fits what they’re already purchasing.
The difference comes down to relevance. “You may also like this” is much more useful when the suggested product actually makes sense.
5. Improve Product Recommendations
A CFD can be used alongside POS product data to connect products customers are purchasing with relevant recommendations. With automated customer upselling, retailers can use customer and transaction activity to help determine which offers to show at checkout.
Instead of displaying the same generic advertisement to everyone, retailers can create promotions around specific products, categories, or purchasing behaviors.
That creates a more targeted checkout experience—and gives retailers more opportunities to promote products that make sense for the customer.
How to Upsell in Retail with LANDI POS Hardware
Retailers can use LANDI POS hardware to make more of the checkout experience. Instead of treating the customer-facing display as a place to show payment information, retailers can use it to keep customers informed while also promoting relevant products, offers, and loyalty incentives.
LANDI C20 Pro
The LANDI C20 Pro features a built-in 10.1-inch customer-facing display (CFD). Because the display is built into the POS hardware, retailers can engage customers at checkout without needing to add a separate customer-facing screen.
Want to take a closer look at the LANDI C20 Pro? Explore LANDI POS
to see the hardware and its checkout capabilities.
Show Combined Content
One of the advantages of the LANDI C20 Pro is its ability to display transactional and promotional content on the same screen. The display can be divided into two sections, allowing customers to follow their transaction while promotional content appears alongside it.
This means retailers don’t have to choose between showing customers their purchase information and using the screen for marketing. They can do both at the same time.
Display Transactions in Real-Time
The transactional portion of the display can show customers what is being added to their purchase as products are scanned. This gives shoppers a clear view of their items and transaction details throughout the checkout process.
Keeping this information visible can make the checkout experience easier to follow while giving customers confidence that their purchases are being recorded correctly.
Use the Display for Promotional Messaging
The other portion of the display can be used to show promotional content while the transaction is taking place. Retailers can highlight current deals, new products, limited-time offers, or other messages they want customers to see before completing their purchase.
Instead of relying only on signs around the store, retailers can put these promotions directly in front of customers during checkout.
Encourage Upselling and Cross-Selling
Retailers can also use the promotional space to recommend products that complement what a customer is already purchasing.
For example, a customer buying a six-pack of beer could see a promotion for a complementary snack, while a customer purchasing multiple cigars could see an offer for an additional cigar at a discounted price. These recommendations give customers another opportunity to add to their purchase before paying.
Promote the Loyalty Program
The customer-facing display can also help retailers promote their loyalty program at checkout. Retailers can use the screen to highlight rewards, membership benefits, or sign-up incentives and encourage customers to enroll before completing their purchase.
This gives retailers another way to introduce the loyalty program without relying entirely on employees to bring it up during every transaction.
Choose Your Preferred POS Hardware Bundle (CFD included)
How to Upsell in Retail with FTx POS Hardware
FTx POS hardware takes a slightly different approach by using dual displays to separate the customer transaction experience from promotional content.
Dual Displays
With dual-display hardware, one screen can focus on the transaction while the other provides dedicated space for upselling and promotional messaging.
This separation gives customers a clear view of what they’re purchasing while allowing retailers to use the second display as a digital marketing channel.
CFD for Transactional Content
The transactional display can show current transaction details as products are scanned.
This gives customers better visibility into their purchase and makes it easier to confirm that the items, quantities, and totals are correct.
It can also create a more straightforward checkout flow because customers don’t have to rely entirely on the cashier’s screen to follow along with their transaction.
CFD for Promotional Content
The second display can focus entirely on content designed to encourage additional purchases.
Retailers can use it to promote:
- Product bundles
- Discounts and special offers
- Limited-time deals
- Loyalty rewards
- New products
- Complementary products
- Seasonal promotions
For example, a customer purchasing several individual products might see a bundle offer that provides a discount for adding another item.
Trigger-Based Upselling
The opportunity becomes even more targeted when the CFD is connected with other retail solutions.
With FTx Uplift, retailers can use automated and personalized offerings to deliver relevant messages based on customer activity. Instead of showing the same promotion to everyone, retailers can create campaigns designed around specific customer or transaction triggers.
That can make checkout promotions feel less like advertising and more like a helpful recommendation.
CFD Integration with Other FTx Solutions
FTx POS hardware can also work alongside other FTx solutions to expand what retailers can do with customer-facing displays.
FTx Uplift can help connect automated upselling with personalized offers, allowing retailers to present more relevant promotions at checkout.
FTx Digital Signage can provide another way to use customer-facing screens to promote seasonal campaigns, featured products, special offers, and other content designed to encourage additional purchases.
Together, these tools can turn the customer-facing display into a more active part of the retailer’s marketing strategy.
8 Ways Retailers Can Use Customer-Facing Displays to Upsell More at Checkout
The best CFD strategy isn’t about filling the screen with advertisements. It’s about showing the right message at the right point in the transaction.
Here are eight practical ways retailers can put that idea into action:
1. Display Complementary Product Recommendations
One of the easiest ways to start upselling at checkout is to recommend a product that naturally goes with what the customer is already purchasing.
Retailers can map products in their POS system so that when a particular item is scanned, the display can promote a relevant add-on.
Example: A customer purchases cigars. The CFD could display a promotion encouraging them to purchase additional cigars for a discounted price or extra loyalty rewards.
Example script:
Stocking up? Add one more and save.
Buy 4 and get your 5th 50% off + earn 5X rewards.
Graphic idea: Show the original product alongside the recommended add-on with a simple savings or rewards callout.
2. Cross-Sell Products Based on Customer Preferences
Cross-selling is similar to upselling, but instead of encouraging customers to buy more of the same product, you’re recommending something different that complements their purchase.
Example: A customer purchasing a six-pack of beer could see a promotion for a bag of chips or another snack at a discounted price.
Another example could involve nicotine pouches. If a customer purchases ZYN, the display could introduce them to a new on! nicotine pouch product that’s currently on sale.
The recommendation gives the customer a chance to discover something new without interrupting their normal checkout experience.
Example script:
Looking for something new?
Try on! nicotine pouches today and save $X.
Graphic idea: Use a side-by-side product comparison with a “New” or “On Sale” callout.
3. Promote Limited-Time Checkout Offers
A limited-time promotion can give customers a reason to make a purchase now rather than later.
Retailers can schedule campaigns with specific start and end dates, making it easier to promote seasonal offers, weekend sales, holiday promotions, or short-term discounts.
Example: A retailer running a three-day summer promotion could display:
Weekend Deal
Add any qualifying product to your purchase and save 15%.
Ends Sunday.
The countdown or end date adds a sense of urgency without requiring an employee to explain the promotion.
4. Showcase Loyalty Programs Before Payment
Checkout is also a great time to promote a loyalty program, particularly when the customer hasn’t signed up yet.
Retailers can use an automated sign-up campaign to identify customers who aren’t enrolled and offer a simple incentive before payment. These retail upsell incentives can give customers another reason to join while they’re already at checkout.
For example:
Not a member yet?
Sign up today and get 500 bonus points.
When paired with a solution such as FTx Uplift, retailers can create more targeted campaigns and automatically present
relevant incentives at checkout.
5. Use Customer Displays as Digital Signage Screens
A customer-facing display doesn’t have to show the same promotion all day. Retailers can also use it as a small digital signage channel that reinforces what employees are already recommending at checkout.
For example, an employee might suggest a complementary product, while the CFD backs up that recommendation with a product image, price, or special offer. The customer gets the recommendation verbally and visually, making the promotion easier to notice.
Retailers can use the display to highlight:
- Seasonal products
- New arrivals
- Holiday promotions
- Store events
- Featured brands
- Limited-time deals
- Loyalty campaigns
Say an employee recommends a giftable product during the holiday season. The CFD can show the product, price, and current offer right away. Retailers can update digital signage content as promotions change.
The goal is simple: show customers something relevant without overwhelming them.
Need a few more ideas for your store signage? Take a look at these
convenience store signage ideas for promoting products and engaging customers.
6. Highlight High-Margin Products
Checkout promotions can also help retailers bring attention to products that offer stronger margins.
For example, if a customer is already purchasing a category with several related products, the display could feature a higher-margin option or an add-on that complements the purchase.
A simple message such as:
Make it a bundle and save $5
can draw attention to a combination that benefits both the customer and the retailer.
7. Promote Product Bundles
Bundles make upselling feel more natural because customers aren’t simply being asked to buy “more.” They’re being shown a convenient combination of products.
A retailer could promote a bundle such as:
Complete the Pair & Save
Add these two products for $X instead of $Y.
Bundles can work particularly well for products that customers frequently purchase together.
Looking for more ways to encourage those last-minute purchases? See how you can
use your POS for impulse sales and make the most of those checkout moments.
8. Introduce New or Featured Products
The checkout counter can be one of the easiest places to introduce customers to something new.
A CFD can highlight a new product, recently launched brand, or featured item while the customer waits for the transaction to finish.
For example:
New in Store
Try our newest nicotine pouch flavor.
Now $X
This gives retailers another opportunity to introduce products customers may not have noticed while shopping in the store.
Customer-Facing Display Upselling Mistakes to Avoid
A customer-facing display can create new sales opportunities, but more content doesn’t automatically mean more sales.
The most effective checkout promotions tend to be simple, timely, and relevant.
Using the Screen Only for Receipts
If the display is only showing transaction totals or payment information, retailers may be missing an opportunity to engage customers.
Transaction visibility is important, but the screen can do more than confirm the purchase.
Displaying Too Many Promotions
Trying to promote everything at once can have the opposite effect.
If customers have to sort through five, six, or ten different offers, they may ignore all of them. Focus on one clear message at a time and make the offer easy to understand.
Using Generic Offers
A promotion that has nothing to do with what the customer is buying may not get much attention.
Instead of showing the same message to everyone, consider using product-based recommendations, customer data, or campaign triggers to make offers more relevant.
Displaying Unrelated Product Recommendations
Not every product is a good upsell.
A recommendation should have a logical connection to the customer’s purchase whenever possible. If someone is buying a six-pack of beer, a snack or other complementary item makes sense. A completely unrelated product may simply look like another advertisement.
The goal isn’t to put more products in front of customers. It’s to put the right products in front of them.
Conclusion
Customer-facing displays can do more than show transaction details. Retailers can use them to recommend complementary products, promote bundles and limited-time offers, introduce loyalty programs, and give customers relevant messages while they’re checking out.
The LANDI C20 Pro and FTx POS offer different ways to put that screen to work, giving retailers more options for combining transaction information with promotional content.
With FTx POS, retailers can also connect the checkout experience with solutions such as FTx Uplift and FTx Digital Signage to support targeted promotions and keep content updated. The result is a customer-facing display that can play a more active role in how retailers promote products and offers at checkout.
FAQs
LANDI POS hardware is designed to support more than just payment processing. With features such as a built-in customer-facing display on the LANDI C20 Pro, retailers can show transaction details while also promoting products, special offers, and other relevant content during checkout.
Not always. Some POS hardware, such as the LANDI C20 Pro, includes a built-in customer-facing display, so retailers don't need to add a separate screen to their checkout setup. Other POS configurations, such as FTx POS hardware with dual displays, can provide separate screens for transaction and promotional content.
Yes. Small retailers can use customer-facing displays to make the most of the customer attention they already have at checkout. Even a simple product recommendation, limited-time offer, or loyalty sign-up incentive can create another opportunity to increase basket size without requiring additional sales conversations from employees.
CFDs give retailers another place to promote products and offers directly in front of customers. They can be used to highlight new products, seasonal promotions, loyalty rewards, bundles, and personalized recommendations, helping connect in-store marketing with the checkout experience.
It depends on the type of promotion. Limited-time offers should be updated as campaigns begin and end, while seasonal content can be changed as shopping patterns shift. The goal is to keep promotions current and relevant without changing content so frequently that customers don't have time to notice it.
A CFD can recommend products that complement what a customer is already purchasing. For example, a retailer could promote a corkscrew when a customer buys wine or recommend a different product that's on sale when a customer purchases a related item. Connecting recommendations to products being scanned can make cross-selling feel more relevant and useful.
Yes. Retailers can use customer-facing displays to draw attention to products with stronger margins, especially when those products make sense as an add-on to the customer's current purchase. A targeted bundle, discount, or product recommendation can give customers a reason to consider the higher-margin option before completing their transaction.
