Self-Checkouts

Mike said:
Over here 3 of the main supermarket chains are doing
"Smart Shopping", you get a hand scanner to read the
bar codes on the stuff that you want, then just bag it in
the trolley.

You go to a place of six tills, scan another code on the
screen and your shopping is downloaded from the
handset and into the till, you then pay by card, they
sometimes do a partial check of 5 items for security,
but I have noticed that usually happens if you remove
an item from the scanner, I have never had a complete
turnover of my bags, though some have.

There are fewer people on tills, I agree, but they are more
in the store, filling orders for delivery and loading shelves,
it is easier to find help these days.

Mike.


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Don't know if they are considered "new" in the UK but ICA Maxi/QUANTUM (over here) has had those self-scanners for more than 20 years. I've never tried them myself.

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I prefer the self-checkouts and have been using them since they first put them in more than four years ago here. I never did like someone else touching and bagging my groceries. When my knees started getting bad I could not stand in a line for very long. The self-checkouts gets me out of the store much faster.
 
I will use self-checkout if I have half a dozen or so items, preferring a cashier for speed and efficiency with larger orders, The badgering electronic voice of my grocery self-checkout is annoying if it doesn’t think I’ve put a scanned item into the bagging area, but it still beats a cashier hitting me with their political beliefs or conspiracy theories... 🙀
 

I've tried using them and now refuse to do so. I find them not to be user friendly, especially for a first time user, both in the physical layout of the work area and the operation of the electronics.

The few times I've tried to use one in a grocery store several of the items were unable to be read by the machine, not in the system, or at the wrong price. I did it once at the mal wart when I had two things in a quick grab and go and one of them wasn't in the system. I tried it once at a home depot and no wonder they had a customer buying a crow bar that wound up using it on the check out machine itself.

Most of the self check outs are so far away that I'd only get to these stores once a year--if that. So learning their system isn't worth it to me. Not to mention I am not being compensated to do their job for them. I don't believe there are any savings being passed onto the customers because I have stood there in a regular line watching the self check outs and have witnessed thefts on more than one occasion.
 
I know a fellow that works at a plant. He was on an assembly line getting $17.00 an hr. They put in Robots & they sent him to school to learn to work & program the robots. Now he's making $28.00 an hr.

Our W Mart also has a fast scan. You get their app. on your smartphone & as you put stuff in your cart scan it there, if you put it back scan it again but say "return" When you get to the smart scan aisle after done shopping all you do is scan the bar code in your phone & pay with a credit card and away you go. I see a lot of people bring in their own cloth bags & doing this. That way no one touches your items. I've tried this a couple of times. So far they don't have the program set upright. Sam's & Meijers has this & theirs works great. I can go in & get my things & back out to the car in 5 to 15 minutes.

Since my hospital stay, I have to use an electric cart. The girls at the self-checkout will help me scan & bag my items. then they wipe down the machine (I) they used to check me out. I'm soon to be 86 & I'm still willing to learn new things. If you don't learn you will go dormant.
 
Most of the stores I routinely use for groceries, etc other than Aldi have self checkout plus cashiers. I use whichever has the shorter line. 😉

There’s no self checkout (yet) at the discount department stores I routinely go to, (TJ Maxx, Ross, Home Goods etc) but if they do install the self checkout feature along with cashiers, my decision will be the same…whichever line is shorter.

For me it’s just a convenience factor. My life is really busy once again, and I’m down with any time saving conveniences that will assist me in using my time as efficiently as possible.
 
Tom 86 said:
I know a fellow that works at a plant. He was on an assembly line getting $17.00 an hr. They put in Robots & they sent him to school to learn to work & program the robots. Now he's making $28.00 an hr.
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I'm sure. But that fellow & the robot replaced 5 other guys who are now jobless. So he now makes $28.00 an hr. while the company saves $17.00 an hr times 5 ($85 every hour) and I'll betcha' the product produced on that assembly line didn't reduce the price to the consumer a single farthing.
 
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For better or worse, my crystal ball indicates that RFID technology will eventually replace the current self-scan arrangement. You'll check into the store with a phone app., pick up whatever you want to buy, and just leave. No check-out. An Amazon Go store in Seattle is already doing this.

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acs...5f-4f61-a605-d0666e13ddb8&pf_rd_i=16008589011

Each product contains a small radio frequency sticker or tag. These are all recorded automatically and the total is charged to your account as you walk out the door. You're not even aware that it's happening.

A company I worked for was using this technology (albeit in a different context) in the early '00s with great success.
 
I've tried a couple times at the local grocery stores to use the self check out line when I had a few items. thinking it would be quicker,no such luck
I find it annoying when I've checked everything, the machine won't take my money or won't return my change.I then have to ask a cashier to help me
 
Tommy said:
For better or worse, my crystal ball indicates that RFID technology will eventually replace the current self-scan arrangement. You'll check into the store with a phone app., pick up whatever you want to buy, and just leave. No check-out. An Amazon Go store in Seattle is already doing this.

https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acs...5f-4f61-a605-d0666e13ddb8&pf_rd_i=16008589011

Each product contains a small radio frequency sticker or tag. These are all recorded automatically and the total is charged to your account as you walk out the door. You're not even aware that it's happening.

A company I worked for was using this technology (albeit in a different context) in the early '00s with great success.
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Your crystal ball hasn't failed us yet.
 
Not a fan of self-checkout.
I've been forced to use it a couple times, but both times I needed help with produce and odd items that just wouldn't scan properly for me.

Those hand scanners, or using an app on your phone might be interesting .. But what if you decide to put an item back on the shelf after scanning?

.
 
Bonnie said:
Not a fan of self-checkout.
I've been forced to use it a couple times, but both times I needed help with produce and odd items that just wouldn't scan properly for me.

Those hand scanners, or using an app on your phone might be interesting .. But what if you decide to put an item back on the shelf after scanning?

.
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You hit the "return item" on your smartphone. & it will be deleted from your checkout amount. I've done this several times. It works every time.
 
I tried the scan as you go using my iPhone at the local Wegman's and it was more trouble for me than it was worth.

I found myself cowering in the corner scanning my items all at once just as if I was at the checkout line.

I would probably use it if I was a working person on my lunch break just picking up a grab-n-go sandwich or a slice of pizza.
 
Jules said:
Walmarts (maybe just in Canada) are testing replacing all tills with self-checkouts.

I was absolutely against using self-checkouts anywhere. Keep the employees employed. This past year made be change my mind. I don‘t want to stand in long lines with anyone. Now, I just buy considerably less and go through the self-checkouts. No more loaded cart. Get in, get out. We still have a few tills but they don’t staff them very often. It’s always people with full carts of groceries.

If there’s no line, I go to a cashier.

If I have a bigger order, I do online ordering. Since I’m not making impulse purchases, I’m saving money.

Have you been ‘trained‘ to use self-checkout? Seems like I have.
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WalMart will lose me as a customer if they go full self-checkouts.
 
Price marking in the past. In high school I worked in a grocery store and to reflect price changes we would remove all the cans from the shelves, wipe off the ink price with isopropyl alcohol then re-stamp the new or sale price. Very time consuming.
 
Verisure said:
The question is ... will the self-check-out machines accept food stamps?
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Yes in our state. People are issued EBT (electronic benefits transfer) cards. They can only be used for food items so I'm not sure how that works once someone checks out. I'm guessing the machine will show a balance due for other items.
 
Timely topic. The grocery store nearest me has always had prices a little higher than Wal-Mart, etc. but they bagged your groceries and insisted on carrying them out to the car for you so I didn't mind paying a bit more. About two years ago they put in a different style check out counter and the customer has to unload their cart and put the items on the counter. I didn't like that but just grumbled under my breath and went on. Then this week I walk in and more than half the manned checkout stations were now self-checkout. I almost turned around and left but decided I could use the manned checkouts even if I had to wait. I did notice the store had not lowered any prices. I do most of my shopping at Aldi and can get out quicker there with a checker than I ever could doing self checkout.
 
I have seen some weird stealing scams at store self checkout kiosk at Publix, Walmart, Target, Home Depot and other merchandise stores. I absolutely despise automated checkout kiosk. Too many steps however if the regular checkout lines are too long I'll defer to them especially when a very helpful cashier looks at me looking at it like I never knew they existed.

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www.progressivegrocer.com/com/whats-next-food-retail-self-checkout

www.cardfellow.com/self-checkout-should-you-implement-it/

https://blog.cheapism.com/automatic-checkout-stores/

www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/10/2/17923050/self-checkout-amazon-walmart-automationn-jobs-surveillance

www.firstquarterfinance.com/stores-with-self-checkout/

https://blog.agilenceinc.com/how-to-identify-and-reduce-self-checkout-fraud-theft-and-abuse

www.sacsconsulting.com/2020/08/25/4-secrets-self-checkout-thieves-how-to-stop-them/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-checkout





 
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I greatly dislike using self check outs. There always seems to be an issue that pops up when using them. An employee is supposed to be available to manage those incidences so I usually see someone standing nearby. But one day, when I was in a hurry, of course, there was an issue with an item and the guy had disappeared. If I'm going to have to wait, I'd rather wait because someone else is doing the checking out. I agree also that we don't need yet another reason to put people out of work.
 

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