5 ms·

This only works with low cost items, and/or in nice areas. In low income areas, even many fully manned stores bail due to shrinkage. I'd like to see a middle

by axaxs 7y ago

This only works with low cost items, and/or in nice areas. In low income areas, even many fully manned stores bail due to shrinkage. I'd like to see a middle ground, personally. I like the idea of grabbing and going, using some combination of rf tags and my phone to just charge me automatically. This sounds like the best of both worlds. In an honor system, I'd feel like I'm paying more to cover those who are stealing - which is already a big problem in some areas, like baby products.

nxpnsv 7y ago
In Sweden since at least ten years, and Austria in recent years, most big markets support self checkout. Theft costs are apparently less than salaries for manual checkouts...
- axaxs 7y ago
  We have that too in USA of course, but self checkout is not at all helpful to either issue. In my experience, it takes longer than a cashier for anything more than a few items. Amazon was supposedly working on a grab and go type system, though I haven't followed it. As for the other issue of theft, most places with self-checkout do have a few staffers, but no real security, and are taught to not bother people who are stealing. This leads to food deserts which is quite sad. I'd rather have automated payments, with real security at the door that makes sure that you pay. And no, not like Costco/Sams digging through your stuff, more an automated system or at most flashing your phone at them.
- rootusrootus 7y ago
  Practically every decent size market in the US has had self-checkout for many years. That's not a new phenomenon. There's still a staff member monitoring, but they are overseeing a dozen terminals and their job is about helping customers that run into some kind of snag, not catching shoplifters. This newer idea seems to be small markets with no staff at all on site. Though it's not that new, we've had Avanti Markets at my workplace for a number of years now, and it's an honor system.
  - Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
    > Though it's not that new, we've had Avanti Markets at my workplace for a number of years now, and it's an honor system. We got them at my workplace a couple years ago. In the case of Avanti, I feel it's different. Getting caught stealing from Avanti could cost you your job. I wouldn't risk my job for a ham sandwich.
logfromblammo 7y ago
I was once in a Walgreens in New Orleans, waiting on other members of the party to finish shopping, and someone walked in, filled a backpack from one shelf in under 30 seconds, and walked straight back out again. I looked to the registers, and saw that one of the cashiers had also seen the whole thing, apparently doing nothing. It felt a little odd to realize that I didn't feel like I owed Walgreens anything in that moment, not even to report what I saw. At the time, I really identified with the scene in the 2002 Spider-Man movie when PP steps aside for the wrestling venue robber. Go on, li'l Robin Hood; stick it to The Man and be well. My relationship with Walgreens has always been purely transactional; they did once have an opportunity to upgrade it, back when I lived in Chicago, but chose not to. The money that goes into their registers gets sent to Deerfield, and from there on to the shareholders. The merchandise that walks out the door presumably stays local. So why should the cashiers care? They're only hurt if the whole store shuts down. An entity like that would not do well on the honor system, I think. Walgreens isn't even a person to me. If they won't support my community at even a minimal level, by hiring one local to mind the store, I don't feel particularly motivated to keep their operating costs low out of some sense of goodwill. And I don't have qualms against stealing from robots. If you want me to not steal, on the basis of my own honor, you need to show me the person that would be harmed if I did. If they are all anonymous, and far away, it just doesn't feel as much like stealing. But that real live employee, who may be getting only $10/hour, suffices entirely, even if they just sit there and watch as I check myself out at a kiosk. If I steal, and the store shuts down, that real person loses a part of their livelihood. Like corporate loyalty, "honor" is a two-edged sword. To benefit from the honor of others, the business must cultivate honor of its own. Walgreens hasn't build up enough for me to care. And they did bribe government customers with kickbacks, and murder that homeless guy in Hollywood, and back Theranos.

by axaxs 7y ago

nxpnsv 7y ago

In Sweden since at least ten years, and Austria in recent years, most big markets support self checkout. Theft costs are apparently less than salaries for manual checkouts...

axaxs 7y ago
We have that too in USA of course, but self checkout is not at all helpful to either issue. In my experience, it takes longer than a cashier for anything more than a few items. Amazon was supposedly working on a grab and go type system, though I haven't followed it. As for the other issue of theft, most places with self-checkout do have a few staffers, but no real security, and are taught to not bother people who are stealing. This leads to food deserts which is quite sad. I'd rather have automated payments, with real security at the door that makes sure that you pay. And no, not like Costco/Sams digging through your stuff, more an automated system or at most flashing your phone at them.
rootusrootus 7y ago
Practically every decent size market in the US has had self-checkout for many years. That's not a new phenomenon. There's still a staff member monitoring, but they are overseeing a dozen terminals and their job is about helping customers that run into some kind of snag, not catching shoplifters. This newer idea seems to be small markets with no staff at all on site. Though it's not that new, we've had Avanti Markets at my workplace for a number of years now, and it's an honor system.
- Sohcahtoa82 7y ago
  > Though it's not that new, we've had Avanti Markets at my workplace for a number of years now, and it's an honor system. We got them at my workplace a couple years ago. In the case of Avanti, I feel it's different. Getting caught stealing from Avanti could cost you your job. I wouldn't risk my job for a ham sandwich.

logfromblammo 7y ago

I was once in a Walgreens in New Orleans, waiting on other members of the party to finish shopping, and someone walked in, filled a backpack from one shelf in under 30 seconds, and walked straight back out again. I looked to the registers, and saw that one of the cashiers had also seen the whole thing, apparently doing nothing. It felt a little odd to realize that I didn't feel like I owed Walgreens anything in that moment, not even to report what I saw. At the time, I really identified with the scene in the 2002 Spider-Man movie when PP steps aside for the wrestling venue robber. Go on, li'l Robin Hood; stick it to The Man and be well. My relationship with Walgreens has always been purely transactional; they did once have an opportunity to upgrade it, back when I lived in Chicago, but chose not to. The money that goes into their registers gets sent to Deerfield, and from there on to the shareholders. The merchandise that walks out the door presumably stays local. So why should the cashiers care? They're only hurt if the whole store shuts down. An entity like that would not do well on the honor system, I think. Walgreens isn't even a person to me. If they won't support my community at even a minimal level, by hiring one local to mind the store, I don't feel particularly motivated to keep their operating costs low out of some sense of goodwill. And I don't have qualms against stealing from robots. If you want me to not steal, on the basis of my own honor, you need to show me the person that would be harmed if I did. If they are all anonymous, and far away, it just doesn't feel as much like stealing. But that real live employee, who may be getting only $10/hour, suffices entirely, even if they just sit there and watch as I check myself out at a kiosk. If I steal, and the store shuts down, that real person loses a part of their livelihood. Like corporate loyalty, "honor" is a two-edged sword. To benefit from the honor of others, the business must cultivate honor of its own. Walgreens hasn't build up enough for me to care. And they did bribe government customers with kickbacks, and murder that homeless guy in Hollywood, and back Theranos.