Only about one-third of surveyed retailers plan to invest in self-checkout technology this year, significantly fewer than in 2025, according to an annual retail industry report. While...
I don’t get why people think they will be more efficient and faster than someone who’s used to pass products all day. Cashiers already know where to look for the barcodes and remember the codes for vegetables without having to look anywhere. Self-checkout is only faster in the beginning because few people use it. When it becomes the only option, prepare for even longer queues with people passing the products in such calmness as if they’re doing it in purpose
For most people that is definitely true. I however was a cashier for six years before graduating college and am at the very least just as fast. My problem is usually the scanner won’t keep up with me since there always seems to be a delay for the system to verify I have put the item in the bag before it lets me scan another.
The idea of the self-checkout was that you literally just pass by some scanner with a full cart and it instantly displays the list of items with prices and sum. You just need to tap your card or phone on the reader and are done with it.
The implemented reality was very far away from that idea though. That’s why it failed.
Customers are pissed because they have to do the cashier’s job. And they do compensate themselves with some extra price reduction as a system requiring cooperation obviously can’t reliably detect theft. And if you had a detective watching the cams, you could as well just go back to cashiers - which they seem to now do.
In the end this is yet another failed “fake it till you make it” bet on future tech which just didn’t materialize in time. Shops can tank some customer dissatisfaction for a time and then profit a lot from being the first to do the new thing when it becomes actually possible a few months later. But pissing off the shoppers isn’t a good long-term strategy.
You aren’t faster at checking it out per item. The supermarkets are just keeping it understaffed all the time so the human checkout has a long wait while self checkout does not, so it’s faster to not wait. I try to not use self checkout, but if I have a few items it just makes me feel guilty about making other people wait behind me.
As they keep having understaffed situations, sometimes there’s no other option except self checkout. Which honestly should be illegal.
In many cases, I am faster than the available cashiers at my local grocery store, because they’re old. Also depending on what I’m buying, idc how my stuff is bagged so I can just throw it in a single bag and go vs them taking 3 bags to do the same thing.
But to me, the main reason to use self checkout is that I don’t have to interact with anyone. No conversation, no upsells, just me and a machine. The only reason I’ll go to a cashier is if I have a lot of stuff or if I’m buying alcohol.
It has literally never happened to me over the past decade short of rounding up for charity. Can they? Yes, it could be programmed in, but I’ve never experienced it.
It’s only more efficient when I use it, which sounds like a joke about “it’s only wrong when someone else does it.” But if I am only buying a quart of ice cream and some toilet paper, I actually can scan those faster because I don’t have to pass them to a person to scan them for me. My typical use case is roughly the same speed as a cashier. I also know how to use the machines fairly well.
However, your last sentence is exactly right. Once one idiot gets to self-checkout, the whole thing goes to shit for everyone. Or if something doesn’t scan, or it is a bottle of Nyquil that some stores require ID to buy, then it is so much longer to get a person over to help you.
I only use self checkout if I can carry what I’m buying in my hands. Anymore than that and I’ll go through a lane. Seems like half the time I get flagged for the dude to come check anyway though so WTF is the point?
But I am more effecient than the cashier. Dunno how it is like where you’re from, but a cashier job is either for people who are nearly retired, or a teenager’s first job.
So, in the same footprint of three cashiers that will have 3 queues waiting around, there can be 12 self checkouts with no queues at all.
Some of the pros around here are not very good and take longer than I do, but the Aldi ones are usually fast with those giant barcodes! The last one, however, charged me for two melons but I didn’t have any, removed one, but not the 2nd so I had to go back over. My data points and the workmanship around here show sometimes quicker than me, but not if a line for them and none for diy.
I scan my items as they go into the bag. As I get to the checkout all I have to do is pay. That is waaaaay more efficient than going to a traditional cashier.
I don’t get why people think they will be more efficient and faster than someone who’s used to pass products all day. Cashiers already know where to look for the barcodes and remember the codes for vegetables without having to look anywhere. Self-checkout is only faster in the beginning because few people use it. When it becomes the only option, prepare for even longer queues with people passing the products in such calmness as if they’re doing it in purpose
Yeah, but while you are queued they can feed you ads.
It wasn’t about speed, it was about reducing spending on wages
That’s right. 4-6 registers with one employee.
For most people that is definitely true. I however was a cashier for six years before graduating college and am at the very least just as fast. My problem is usually the scanner won’t keep up with me since there always seems to be a delay for the system to verify I have put the item in the bag before it lets me scan another.
The idea of the self-checkout was that you literally just pass by some scanner with a full cart and it instantly displays the list of items with prices and sum. You just need to tap your card or phone on the reader and are done with it.
The implemented reality was very far away from that idea though. That’s why it failed.
Customers are pissed because they have to do the cashier’s job. And they do compensate themselves with some extra price reduction as a system requiring cooperation obviously can’t reliably detect theft. And if you had a detective watching the cams, you could as well just go back to cashiers - which they seem to now do.
In the end this is yet another failed “fake it till you make it” bet on future tech which just didn’t materialize in time. Shops can tank some customer dissatisfaction for a time and then profit a lot from being the first to do the new thing when it becomes actually possible a few months later. But pissing off the shoppers isn’t a good long-term strategy.
You aren’t faster at checking it out per item. The supermarkets are just keeping it understaffed all the time so the human checkout has a long wait while self checkout does not, so it’s faster to not wait. I try to not use self checkout, but if I have a few items it just makes me feel guilty about making other people wait behind me.
As they keep having understaffed situations, sometimes there’s no other option except self checkout. Which honestly should be illegal.
In many cases, I am faster than the available cashiers at my local grocery store, because they’re old. Also depending on what I’m buying, idc how my stuff is bagged so I can just throw it in a single bag and go vs them taking 3 bags to do the same thing.
But to me, the main reason to use self checkout is that I don’t have to interact with anyone. No conversation, no upsells, just me and a machine. The only reason I’ll go to a cashier is if I have a lot of stuff or if I’m buying alcohol.
You don’t think machines can up sell you? Ok.
When has a self check out given you purchase suggestions? I mean I can see them doing it, but I haven’t seen it
McDonald’s kiosk? Wouldn’t you like hash browns with your order?
Would you like to round up for the Boys and Girls club?
What upsell is the grocery store cashier doing? Stamps and ice?
To suggest a machine is incapable of up selling even more obtrusively than a cashier is dishonest.
It has literally never happened to me over the past decade short of rounding up for charity. Can they? Yes, it could be programmed in, but I’ve never experienced it.
It’s only more efficient when I use it, which sounds like a joke about “it’s only wrong when someone else does it.” But if I am only buying a quart of ice cream and some toilet paper, I actually can scan those faster because I don’t have to pass them to a person to scan them for me. My typical use case is roughly the same speed as a cashier. I also know how to use the machines fairly well.
However, your last sentence is exactly right. Once one idiot gets to self-checkout, the whole thing goes to shit for everyone. Or if something doesn’t scan, or it is a bottle of Nyquil that some stores require ID to buy, then it is so much longer to get a person over to help you.
I only use self checkout if I can carry what I’m buying in my hands. Anymore than that and I’ll go through a lane. Seems like half the time I get flagged for the dude to come check anyway though so WTF is the point?
I refuse to use them because of liability. Too many cases of people being falsely accused of stealing.
When the employees try to shoo me to the self checkout I just stare at them awkwardly.
But I am more effecient than the cashier. Dunno how it is like where you’re from, but a cashier job is either for people who are nearly retired, or a teenager’s first job.
So, in the same footprint of three cashiers that will have 3 queues waiting around, there can be 12 self checkouts with no queues at all.
Some of the pros around here are not very good and take longer than I do, but the Aldi ones are usually fast with those giant barcodes! The last one, however, charged me for two melons but I didn’t have any, removed one, but not the 2nd so I had to go back over. My data points and the workmanship around here show sometimes quicker than me, but not if a line for them and none for diy.
I scan my items as they go into the bag. As I get to the checkout all I have to do is pay. That is waaaaay more efficient than going to a traditional cashier.