If you’ve ever worked in a local butcher, farm shop, or greengrocer during the holiday rush, you know what a “wild” ride it can be. Christmas, Easter, and summer BBQ season are fantastic for sales, but they tend to bring a tidal wave of orders. People want specific cuts, set pickup days, personal notes (“no sprouts, please!”). And more often than not, it’s all getting scribbled down on paper forms that staff have to make sense of later.
That’s exactly the kind of chaos our DIGIN feature is designed to fix.
The problem with holiday order season
Holidays are where local shops make a big chunk of their yearly revenue. But they also bring very specific orders like “I want a turkey, 12 pounds, with the giblets removed, ready for pickup on December 22nd,” or “a Christmas hamper with specific cheeses, jams, and a bottle of wine.” Many shops still handle this on paper forms filled out by hand by customers or staff, then transcribed into spreadsheets or booking logs.
This old-school approach causes headaches:
- Illegible handwriting leading to mistakes.
- Duplicate or missed orders because forms get lost or misunderstood.
- Bottlenecks at the counter with customers waiting to place or confirm orders.
- Staff spending hours on admin instead of serving or prepping products.
This is exactly where DIGIN came from. We noticed shop owners spending hours retyping forms and fixing mistakes. So we created a way for customers to get their orders right the first time, reducing stress and errors.
What is in-store self-ordering?
At its core, self-ordering is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of filling out paper forms or dictating their order to a staff member, customers use a tablet in-store to choose what they want and submit it.
With DIGIN, that tablet lives right by the counter (or wherever it makes sense in your shop). The interface is clean, branded, and easy to use, even for customers who “don’t do tech.”
Here’s what DIGIN lets your customers do:
- Browse products and special offers
- Pick specific options (like portion size or pickup date)
- Add notes or preferences
- Submit their order straight into your system
Orders go straight into your Velocity dashboard, neatly organised by pickup time, order type, and customer name. And that’s it. There’s no chasing down forms, no double-entry, and no missed details.
How to set up in-store self-ordering with DIGIN
Getting started is nice and straightforward:
Step 1. Place a tablet where customers queue or order like near the till or a dedicated “Order Here” spot, with clear signage.
Step 2. Upload your products using the Velocity dashboard. From here you can set up options like size, pickup date, and limits.
Step 3. Train staff on how orders appear in the system and encourage customers to use the tablet during busy times.
Step 4. It’s a good idea to test it early, so start a couple of weeks before your rush to iron out any issues and update stock or messages as needed.
The year-round potential of DIGIN
DIGIN isn’t just for holidays. Retailers are also using it for:
Summer BBQ packs
Pre-order sausages, ribs, and marinades for weekend pickup.
Subscription or repeat orders
Weekly boxes or favourites customers can reorder with a tap.
New product launches
Showcase seasonal specials or limited editions and gauge interest in-store.
Thinking about DIGIN? Start here.
If you’re constantly juggling handwritten forms, missed details, or late-night admin, DIGIN could be the upgrade your shop needs.
- Start small — just digitise your Christmas or Easter orders.
- Keep it simple — use photos, short names, and friendly prompts.
- Promote it — let your customers know things are easier and more accurate this year.
- Track the results — most shops see a 50–70% drop in back-office admin after switching to DIGIN.
Want to find out more about DIGIN? Talk to our friendly team today, we’d be more than happy to answer all of your questions and make personalised recommendations.
