8 ms·

The age of the fast self-checkout lane is over

• BayAreaEscapee 4y ago
  I have some sympathy for the stores: they've obviously put in a lot of these features to keep people from scamming the self-checkout system. But I also share the author's frustrations. I've had a number of times where it decides the weight of something is wrong or for some other reason stops functioning until a store employee intervenes. But sometimes there is no store employee there at all, and I'm standing there at the self-checkout with no way to resolve the situation. In some of those cases, I've just left my groceries there at the machine and walked out the store. I tell myself "That'll show 'em, they'll have to put all that stuff back on the shelf!" But it obviously doesn't show them anything: they never fix the broken parts of the self-checkout and I end up having to return to that supermarket (or another) for the reason that brought me into the store in the first place.
  • RunningDroid 4y ago
    > In some of those cases, I've just left my groceries there at the machine and walked out the store. I tell myself "That'll show 'em, they'll have to put all that stuff back on the shelf!" But it obviously doesn't show them anything: they never fix the broken parts of the self-checkout and I end up having to return to that supermarket (or another) for the reason that brought me into the store in the first place. That's because corporate headquarters doesn't track how often stuff gets left where it doesn't belong, and the individuals employees have no way to make feature requests or report bugs that aren't severe. (I can report that the system chokes if a guest tries to pay with card, but I can't report that I have to kill the app every so often because it won't let me backstock(there's like 5 different ways it breaks backstocking))
  • technothrasher 4y ago
    > they've obviously put in a lot of these features to keep people from scamming the self-checkout system. And these features, while understandable, make me despise using the self-checkout. I've always mused that we should have a TSA PreCheck for grocery store checkout. Do a background check on me, I promise I'm not going to steal your shit, now let me just check out without all the checks that constantly break and slow me down. But then I get annoyed at my own solution because of privacy concerns. And so I always just end up leaving the store in a bad mood.
    • usrn 4y ago
      This would be considered discriminatory and not allowed.
      • jjeaff 4y ago
        Then why is TSA pre-check allowed?
    • WalterBright 4y ago
      In Seattle, the City Council has decided that the purpose of stores is to provide free stuff to shoplifters.
  • spike021 4y ago
    >In some of those cases, I've just left my groceries there at the machine and walked out the store. I tell myself "That'll show 'em, they'll have to put all that stuff back on the shelf!" But it obviously doesn't show them anything: they never fix the broken parts of the self-checkout and I end up having to return to that supermarket (or another) for the reason that brought me into the store in the first place. This seems... like a pretty lame take. I bet in most cases the employees will never know why someone just left their stuff there. Some of it could be perishable so it'll need to be tossed rather than re-stocked onto the shelves. And not only that, I doubt the people responsible for those machines at whatever corporate level are really checking metrics on why someone starts a checkout and then randomly stops. That's just too many steps removed. However, there should definitely be a better way. I just don't think this is it.
• RunningDroid 4y ago
  Note that the 4011 PLU is for bananas by weight, 8011 is the PLU for bananas by each, which the store uses will vary from store to store (my local Target sells bananas by each because the non-self-checkout registers don't have scales)
• Overtonwindow 4y ago
  When I was a teenager bagging groceries, the self checkout was just entering the market. I thought what a revolutionary invention; why interact with humans when you can go much faster with a machine. Now that I'm older I must confess that I loathe the self checkout. I spend too much time waiting in line for one of the cashiers because I just don't like the self checkout experience. Self introspectively I have a conflict: I don't like that self checkout takes jobs away, but there are some businesses where self-checkout is very helpful; McDonalds. I envision a future in which you place your order at the fast food place on a kiosk, and then someone hands you the food, three employees max while a computer makes the food. Grocery stores...feel different, and perhaps it is the social aspect of it.
  • Ekaros 4y ago
    I love the app for our local burgerchain. I can choose and customize my order with it, pay for it and then just pick it up by showing code at till... Efficiency gains, sadly I can't get my lunch benefit as that payment method is not supported... So instead I have to make my order, line up and pay at till.
  • donbrae 4y ago
    > Self introspectively I have a conflict: I don't like that self checkout takes jobs away […] I used to work as a supermarket cashier. It was incredibly boring. Self-checkouts, for all their flaws, are a step forward for humanity.
    • julianlam 4y ago
      I think technology has whittled away any remaining mental effort required to be a cashier. I remember growing up, cashiers needed to know the price of every single vegetable (no PLUs) and fruit. Prices were labelled on boxes, but otherwise memorization was required. Then you had to make change, too, although by that point the amount was already calculated.
• unethical_ban 4y ago
  In Texas at HEB, items can be scanned with the gun but the kiosk will tell you to bag the item, or leave in cart. Even if you are scanning certain bulky or heavy items, if it wants you to bag it, you have to wait five seconds for a timeout to say "skip bagging". No, I don't want to shove my six pack of triple mega toilet paper into a plastic bag. Again, I know theft deterrence is a thing, but come on. Also in Texas at least, self checkout is for ten items or less, so any time optimization will add up to little.
  • z9znz 4y ago
    > In Texas at HEB, items can be scanned with the gun ... I was expecting a joke to follow, because naturally I thought you meant a firearm.
• de_nied 4y ago
  I wonder if there have been any implementations that allow people to scan their credit/debit card to enter and just detect what they take and create an automated charging system when they walk out.
  • dntrkv 4y ago
    Amazon stores do this. Also Uniqlo has a really cool approach where each item tag has an RFID chip and you just place your entire bag into the scanner and it automatically detects all your items.
    • de_nied 4y ago
      If I recall correctly, Amazon still requires self-checkout. I meant more along the lines of not even needing to scan items.
      • hnbear 4y ago
        Amazon express stores have your card on file. You scan the app to enter then take what you want and leave. There is no checkout process. Through automated tracking it detects what’s you’ve picked up and bills you after you walk out. Stores have few to no employees most of the time.
        • de_nied 4y ago
          Oh cool. I'll have to check them out sometime.
      • tim333 4y ago
        'Amazon Fresh' in the UK have no scanning. They use cameras and AI to see what you pick up and you just walk out. You still have to scan your app when you walk in - face recognition would complete the experience.
  • isbvhodnvemrwvn 4y ago
    Similar but with an app, Amazon had a store like that and I've seen some experimental non-Amazon stores set up across europe over the past few years.
• acheron 4y ago
  I literally checked out in 20 seconds today. The store has an app, you scan food with your phone as you put it in your cart, and then the only thing you need to do at the lane is pay (and show ID if you’re buying beer).
  • amelius 4y ago
    How do they prevent abuse?
    • Nextgrid 4y ago
      They do random checks every so often with the risk of prosecution for what would most likely count as theft.
      • amelius 4y ago
        What if you honestly forgot to scan something?
        • Nextgrid 4y ago
          Presumably likelihood of prosecution depends on the actual value of the forgotten item, and since these systems are typically coupled to a loyalty card, they can also check history. They'll be much more lenient on a regular customer forgetting a 10$ item once than a brand new one forgetting a 200$ item.
• z9znz 4y ago
  What a dismal existence. In the land I live, I just do this: 1. Enter the store and immediately present my loyalty barcode from my phone app to the scanner 2. Pickup a hand scanner which is now associated with me for this visit (I could even use my phone as a scanner, but I haven't tried it; I assume it wouldn't be as fast as the good laser hand scanner device). 3. Scan every item as I put it into my cart. If I buy multiples, I tap the + button on the scanner after I scan. If I buy produce that needs to be weighed, I go to the scale kiosk, put the thing on the scale, make no more than 3 taps of the screen, and then stick the printed label on my item and scan it. 4. To finish my shopping, I go to the checkout area and drop my scanner into a slot. Then I walk to the checkout kiosk of my choice and scan my loyalty barcode (from my phone app or from a plastic keyfob thing). The screen shows details of what I bought, but I ignore that and quickly pull up Apple pay with my bank card, move the phone near the card reader, and pay my bill. 5. Tap the screen to choose physical short receipt (just a barcode used to pass the exit gate), long receipt with barcode, or opt to use my loyalty barcode to exit. All of this is so easy, and the experience is refined to the point where there's little left to improve.
  • joshgev 4y ago
    No offense intended, but what you describe sounds pretty dismal to me. We have what you describe where I live (France), but I prefer to go to the markets where I know the butcher/green grocer/cheese person/dried fruits and nuts person/fish monger/etc. and they know me. I stand in a line, sometimes for a while, and finally they get to me and ask me how I've been doing recently. Then they ask me for my order and frequently tell me something interesting or useful about what I'm ordering (e.g. where it comes from, how it was grown, etc). They might tell me how to prepare something or offer a suggestion as to what I could buy that I don't usually buy. They might even tell me something about an event happening in the community soon. It's pretty rad.
    • 0des 4y ago
      I hope this way of life never dies
      • 4y ago
• baal80spam 4y ago
  Text on this webpage is barely legible...
  • julianlam 4y ago
    Thanks for the feedback! I'll tweak the font weight if I can.
• bluenose69 4y ago
  I never use self-checkout machines. For one thing, it's a lot more work for me, scanning codes and packing items into my bags. For another, I enjoy the conversations I have with the tellers.
  • Nextgrid 4y ago
    Is it common that manned checkouts will have the cashier bag your stuff for you? I haven't experienced that in most central London stores.
    • nulbyte 4y ago
      In the U.S., yes. If they don't have enough staff on hand to specifically bag, then the cashier will bag it. Some places (Meijer, for example) will have a carousel of bags, and the cashier bags things as they are scanned. When one bag is full, it is turned so you can pick it up and put it in your cart while the cashier continues scanning and bagging. The only place I know of that won't bag your items for you is Aldi, but I'm sure there are others; it's just not common to have to bag your own items, unless in self checkout.
• igorkraw 4y ago
  Stories from an exchange in Switzerlands, the experience in the two largest grocery cooperatives/grocery stores is quite different: you have the option of using your own phone to scan things, carry a scanner gun with you, or use a scanning station at the exit, no scale, no bagging required, or you can go to a standard register. There might be a person standing around verifying things are scanned and checking on/helping you, but often enough, only one. I've backtracked after forgetting to pay multiple times because they basically trust you. Living in a high trust society is nice. We should work on scaling this
  • gjs278 4y ago
  • lifeisstillgood 4y ago
    UK Asda (owned by Walmart) does something similar - I can open the app on my phone, scan items using the camera, and just pay at the checkout by scanning a QR code the app generates. Sometimes I might get randomly selected for a manual review by a staff member. But in general it's like they are interested in selling more than stoping thieves
    • cassianoleal 4y ago
      So does Waitrose. You can either scan using your phone or one of their hand scanners (you get them when you come into the store by scanning your loyalty card).
      • AndrewOMartin 4y ago
        When I'm using the scanner gun at Waitrose I can't help thinking of this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q54lVO7elt0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q54lVO7elt0
  • nelgaard 4y ago
    My experience is that no society trust you to be old enough to buy a few beers. So you have to stand there and wait until someone comes and look at you.
• lervag 4y ago
  This is a fascinating read. It seems self-checkout works a little bit differently in Norway. We have self-checkout lanes in many (most?) stores in Norway. There is usually an employee nearby at all times (in case there's a problem, or when an employee must verify the age for alcohol beverages, and similar). For a regular trip by the store to shop groceries, most of the items can be scanned quickly and easily. A few items must be weighed manually (mostly various types of vegetables and fruits). There are some differences between stores on how well these systems work, but in my experience, most of them work very well. I would still use the "old" checkout when I have a wagon full of wares, as that makes it easier to pack the bags. The self-checkout counters are quite small and so are inconvenient for large amounts of items.
• chiph 4y ago
  > Enforcing the use of the built-in scanner BJ's Warehouse Club self checkouts used to weigh your purchase, but also had infrared sensors to ensure it went on the belt after scanning. The sensors could not detect anything shorter than about 3/4" of an inch (20mm), so if you bought something like an SD card it would yell at you to re-scan it. You might think you could hold it up as the belt moved but they knew how many infrared beams should be broken by it - and would yell at you. I solved the problem by not renewing my membership. The Costco self checkouts (mentioned by the author) don't have hand-scanners like they do at Sam's Club. So if you buy something heavy like a case of drinks you have to either muscle it up onto the scanner or wait for the attendant. This is something they can improve. Sam's now has an app that lets you scan and pay for your purchases through your phone. You will still get your cart looked over at the exit by an employee, but the experience has been very good. I think Walmart will be offering a branded version for their stores soon.
• indentit 4y ago
  The gripe about being completely unable to enter a quantity of an item doesn't match my experience. But it isn't obvious how to use it - do you scan something, then enter the quantity, then put in the bagging area? Turns out no, you enter a quantity, scan one item, then put them all in the bagging area. But I discovered that if you enter a large quantity and can't put them all down in a certain time frame, it will complain the weight doesn't match and you have to wait for the supervisor... So I guess it works best with quantities of something you can fit in your hands.
  • Nextgrid 4y ago
    > you enter a quantity, scan one item, then put them all in the bagging area Self-checkout software is more or less a layer on top of (antique) PoS software (usually provided by IBM or whoever they sold it to since). What you see here is an artefact of that, as that's exactly how most cashier-operated PoS systems behave.
  • julianlam 4y ago
    If I were able to enter a quantity, that would be one thing, but the option for me simply isn't there. So I have to do this awkward dance where I hold the jar of tomato sauce with one hand (for scanning) while the other moves the other jars from the cart to the bag (for the weight check.)
• commiepatrol 4y ago
  I wonder if stores lose money on self checkout lanes. Just yesterday I witnessed something for the first time(for me) and I wonder how often this really happens. I was in line for the self checkout, there were about 6 machines and they were all being used. In one of them there was a guy with lots of groceries and he was slowly scanning everything. Then when he was done he pretended to pay and then just walked out. At first I didn't understand what happened but the machine he was using just remained there in non-ready state and nobody was touching it afterwards. After it was my turn I walked up by it and noticed that it still displayed "$220 due". The guy went through the trouble of scanning every item he was going to steal and then just walked out.
  • mottosso 4y ago
    Employees are likely more expensive then theft.
  • noisem4ker 4y ago
    Does that system not require customers to scan the receipt before they're allowed to leave through the bars?
    • Nextgrid 4y ago
      That would slow down the system too much. It'll probably work if self-checkout lanes were actual lanes that can have an individual gate at the end, but in most cases self-checkout is an open area with a single exit that everyone funnels into - putting a gate there would slow it down to a crawl.
      • lunaticlabs 4y ago
        I live in Berlin, and this is standard here. There are 6 self checkout stations with a single exit. Once you are done scanning items and have paid, your receipt has a barcode you have to scan to exit. It always takes longer to scan your items than get through the gate, so I’ve never had to wait.
    • wink 4y ago
• iknownothow 4y ago
  Yes it has. I order groceries from my couch and I pay 2€ extra for delivery and my door bell rings under 15 minutes 95% of the times, sometimes in under 7 minutes. I live in a major German city. P.S. I have at least twice ordered missing ingredients mid cooking and luckily both those times, delivery was under 10 minutes.
  • Nextgrid 4y ago
    Keep in mind that it only costs 2EUR because of a combination of the following: 1) venture capitalists are subsidizing it to monopolize the market 2) there's an extra surcharge built into the prices of the individual items which you don't notice 3) delivery couriers are getting screwed but don't realize it yet 4) the stores are getting screwed and don't realize it yet In any case, that's not a sustainable solution and prices will go up and/or the quality of the service will go down over time.
    • iknownothow 4y ago
      Valid points but want to address some specific points: 2) Not entirely true. On average you may be right, but some specific items that I care about, like some good brands of milk, are actually cheaper on the app than at the store (my reference store is Rewe which is the closest to me and a bit on the expensive side). 3) If the price of items is higher as you say, then shouldn't that cover the salaries of the couriers? Also they have a guaranteed minimum wage and tips. They get a great workout since it's all based on bicycles. 4) The deliveries happen from a warehouse and not the grocery store. I assume the warehouse is optimized for deliveries and not foot fall. On average I do pay more per week, maybe +10€, which is well worth it since I have a toddler at home and every hour is accounted for. P.S. German cities are very compact and have decent bicycle lanes.
• me_again 4y ago
  The stupid machines are so paranoid. "Unexpected item in bagging area!" That's my bag to put the groceries in. "Place item in bagging area!" I just did, your scale just sucks. Let me pick it up and put it down again... "Unexpected item in bagging area!" Really, f*ck these user-hostile abominations.
  • deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  • misnome 4y ago
    (scans alcohol-free wine) (has to wait five minutes for a member of staff to appear to “Age verify”)
  • Nextgrid 4y ago
    I hate the stupid voice more than the actual errors which at least have plausible deniability as theft deterrence. The idle screen should have a big "fuck off and don't scream at me" button you can press before starting to immediately disable that at the start of the session (most have a tiny volume button but it just cycles through the levels so you have to press several times and go through louder levels before muting it). Also, I wish it would display the actual (total) weight vs expected. If it's off by 1g I know it's just a measuring error and bumping the scale will fix it - if it's off by 100g I know I need to look further and there might actually be an unexpected item.
  • rawling 4y ago
    My favourite is > I've got an item of produce without a barcode (places on scales) >> Ok, I've clearly taken a picture and decided it's a banana because that's the only option I'm showing you > Yes, it's a banana >> That's x amount by weight, please bag it > Ok ... And then 2 minutes later when I try to pay, it summons the cashier and shows them the picture it took of the banana, because it no longer thinks it looks like a banana.
  • tim333 4y ago
    Depends on the machine. Waitrose in the UK have some that don't weigh stuff. You just scan some items, touch your card and go.
• luis8 4y ago
  What about a smart shopping cart that close a lid when you pass the checkout area and then somehow figure out whats inside. After you cross the pay area it will open if you paid for everything
  • Nextgrid 4y ago
    Uniqlo does this - they have RFID tags embedded in their products so you can just dump all of it in a special basket at checkout and it autodetects everything. I suspect they also work for anti-theft as there are no separate, bulky anti-theft tags to remove.
• ravenstine 4y ago
  Self-checkouts and checkouts in general have gotten slow because they're increasingly dominated by elderly customers. At least that's my experience. Over the last 5 years, I've noticed way fewer young people shopping in person. I think a lot of those under 50 have switched to services like Instacart and Amazon Fresh. And I can't say I blame them. The checkout process has become excruciating. I love and respect my elders, but for some reason they collectively fail to check out in an appropriate amount of time without error.
  • switch007 4y ago
    Or perhaps more fairly: the self-checkouts fail to serve the needs of the elderly.
    • ravenstine 4y ago
      True, yes, and they fail to serve the needs of many. I'm skeptical as to whether more tech is the right answer to serving the elderly. Self-checkouts are essentially saying "hey, you're as capable of scanning and bagging as the next person, so do it yourself with a small number of groceries." By definition, the elderly won't be as good of candidates for this on average because they will tend to be slower and not as fluent with tech that serves the majority. A technological solution might be able to serve both if it could adjust to the user. Since these checkouts are hesitant to implement a more full-fledged user management system, I doubt we will see such a thing any time soon. With user accounts with profiles and settings (beyond just having a store card), the experience could be tailored to what is most useful to the user and make suggestions. If we're not going to get that, then regular checkouts are the better answer for the elderly or anyone else who will be prone to issues with self-checkouts.
  • nulbyte 4y ago
    I find checkout has gotten slow because a lack of staff. It never fails that there are lines out into the shopping aisles because a store can't staff more than two or three cashiers, even at their busiest times.
• Schnitz 4y ago
  It's pretty ridiculous, at least here in the SF Bay that the self checkout lanes have these features that are meant to deter abuse of the system, when in fact the entire store runs on the honor system and has a policy to not stop anyone who simply walks in, grabs a bunch of stuff and yells "thank you" as they casually stroll out without paying.
  • julianlam 4y ago
    Ah yes. The "it's not worth the risk to your life to confront the thief" approach. It happens often here where some person will steal many bottles of expensive liquor and walk out. In my city a pair of thieves made off with an entire wheel of cheese.
    • tim333 4y ago
      The trouble in most such places is it's not legal to arrest someone if you are not a police officer and the police can't be bothered.
• pessimizer 4y ago
  I love self-checkout and will do it every time it's available. Self-checkout was always a stupid idea. 1) We can barely train employees to operate POS machines consistently, without mistakes and frequent interventions by roving managers. Now every customer is supposed to learn your awful, shifting UI. Critiques of specific UI mistakes miss the forest for the trees - if they were going to be perfected, they would already have been; we've been trying to teach 16 year olds to use them for decades. Maybe it would work if all grocers settled on a single UI, never changed it, and everybody got a couple of hours of instruction and a quiz devoted to it in school. 2) Part of what cashiers do is block the exit doors so you can't just walk out with things.
  • lifeisstillgood 4y ago
    This last part is the telling part. Many stores these days have permanent security staff at the exit - for what we assume is just this issue. And no master how much you save by getting rid of cashiers and replacing shelf stackers, if there was no staff in the store at all, we would not call it looting, just high energy shopping
• User23 4y ago
  One of my local grocery stores actually properly staffed the checkout. I virtually never have to wait in line more than for one other person. Needless to say they are always my first choice.
  • spfzero 4y ago
    I've found this to be true as well. I will pay more to shop in a store that staffs adequately so that I don't waste time, and pays checkers enough that they can hire as needed.
    • Auracle 4y ago
      15 or so years ago our local Walmart got a new location and store. They must have at least 40 checkout lanes, and when I first saw them I was surprised they would staff that many. Of course, as far as I could tell they never even approached that. Maybe during Black Friday a but I’m not insane enough to go to a Walmart of all places on that day. Even before they had self checkouts put in the most I ever saw was perhaps 3 or 4 staffed. Now that they have (too few) self checkouts I think they often don’t even have a single one staffed. Our local Target is a far smaller store, with maybe 8 checkout lanes. They’re usually all staffed, and by people who actually try to do a good job.
• projektfu 4y ago
  I find it interesting that Kroger is high paranoia (weigh everything, etc.) and Walmart is low (scan what you like). Just given these comments about higher and lower trust areas. Publix, of course, has human checkout.
  • nulbyte 4y ago
    I am not terribly fond of Kroger for that reason, among others. They also have installed obnoxious displays with flashing red lights in every aisle, but can't afford more than one security person who constantly looks like they are out of breath doing nothing but standing still.
• azinman2 4y ago
  Self checkout will always be slower than a human cashier unless it’s zero interaction like Amazon Go. People who use the machines optimized for high throughput all day long will always beat the casual person who rarely/never interacts with the self checkout machine… let alone know where UPC codes are to scan.
  • 323 4y ago
    Unless you need to stand in a queue to get to that human cashier.
    • azinman2 4y ago
      They’re quicker per person, and self check in my experience often has a line.
• amelius 4y ago
  Funny that on Hacker News, nobody talks about how to hack this process ...
• 323 4y ago
  > self-checkout systems seem to have slowed down immeasureably. Even simple things like seeing a number appear on screen when you press the number on the screen take 250ms, which just feels slow. Toggling between screens will take half a second Maybe they are written in Electron now :)
• oliwarner 4y ago
  Handheld scanners should displace both self-checkout kiosks and traditional kiosks. I can scan things straight into the bag in my trolley. And if I've used my phone as the scanner, I can pay and leave without going anywhere near a physical terminal. If this could be the experience for the 90%, and you only needed a couple of tills open, supermarkets could reclaim 10% of their floorspace and several jobs. When self-checkout kiosks came alone, there was an argument that the supermarket is making you do their job, but there's little I resent more than loading everything into a trolley, and then having to get it all out again before repacking it all in a massive hurry. I'd much sooner fight an awful app on my phone and do it once than do it all twice.
  • julianlam 4y ago
    I can't believe I didn't even think of that as a solution. All the stores in my area already have an app. Allowing barcodes to be scanned would be a gamechanger. Hell, I'd buy a barcode scanner that connects to your headphone jack, just for this (assuming it exists.)
    • woleium 4y ago
      laser baarcode scanners are surprisingly expensive.
      • oliwarner 4y ago
        A camera works fine, FWIW. It's all integrated at API level. Some supermarkets here let you use your phone (and could take payment further, to remove the physical checkout process), and others use handheld scanners which could also integrate with phones for checkout (direct NFC payment, or scan a barcode on your phone to upload your cart, pay for it). So many options, such glacial movement. https://smartshop.sainsburys.co.uk/ https://smartshop.sainsburys.co.uk/ https://secure.tesco.com/clubcard/scan-as-you-shop https://secure.tesco.com/clubcard/scan-as-you-shop
• hhh 4y ago
  Walmart has the same thing.
• obarthelemy 4y ago
  I my country, it's been over for about 5 yrs. First I could get a battery hand-scanner when entering the shop, scan the items as I put them in my bag, and the just flash a barcode and pay at the self-checkout. Nowadays, I launch my store app, scan barcodes directly w/ my phone, and when I'm done just select "Pay" and walk out. Occasional audits apply, about every 10-20 shopping trips I've got to let them check I indeed scanned 2-3 items. Total re-scan about twice a year.
• ksaj 4y ago
  The Dollarama a block from my house has only had self-checkout for almost three years now. There is a person there to help if you need it, and the stock people. That's it. The Metro grocery store in the same mall also is half self-checkout, half human. The IKEA where I shop is also half-human and half-self checkout. The drug store I go to has 1 human checkout, and a row of self-checkout systems. I don't spend a lot of time at the drug store, but so far, I've only ever seen the elderly prefer the human checkout there. I don't see this ending soon. I'm getting very acquainted with not having to make small talk with someone who has already chatted about the weather 30 times in the past hour. And it is faster. I've never had an issue with the scales or the scanners. They have always worked exactly like you'd expect them to. And if they don't, there's always at least one staff member nearby anyway. I've just never needed that service, I guess. Scanning things one at a time doesn't take any more time than pressing the * key and a multiplier. You have to pick everything up to put them into your bag anyway.
• compsciphd 4y ago
  In Israel there's a well known chain that caters to the ultra orthodox crowd that doesn't have traditional (what I'd call US style) self checkout. you carry a scanner gun with you around the store scanning items as you put them in your cart. then it takes the guns results and weighs the cart, and assuming they are within tolerances, lets you bag, pack up and leave. of course, things aren't always within tolerances, but generally they seem to be.
  • BrandoElFollito 4y ago
    Is this something related to the religious practices or it is just that the store happens to have such process?
    • compsciphd 4y ago
      store just happens to have such a process (but more stated as those who might be viewed as technophobes using technology that other stores aren't). though the ultra orthodox clientele might also be why they have it. Generally larger families and hence much bigger purchases so normal checkout takes longer.