6 ms·

Fry's Electronics does the single line thing, and any time there is a line, I feel like I end up standing in it longer than I would at a grocery story. I suspec

• prodigal_erik 15y ago
  When I have to choose a line I find myself harshly judging the people around me, because every difference can impose a cost in boredom and lost leisure time. "This guy's old and worn out. They seem kind of foreign, won't understand the cashier. That one looks poor, probably uses a lot of coupons and argues about what's discounted. They're paying all their attention to their kid instead of getting out of everyone's way." It may be the most socially corrosive thing I routinely do. Edit: and I think I just convinced myself to get a smartphone (I'm reluctant to bring a paperback, it might look like shoplifting because they sell those).
  • hn_reader 15y ago
    Indeed, since I got a smartphone I no longer dread long lines in supermarkets, etc. Just more time to read HN.
• AndyNemmity 15y ago
  I go to Fry's a ton, and it always seems to go much quicker, but I agree, psychologically standing in a tremendously huge line feels worse.
  • mc32 15y ago
    --which is why Delis‡ traditionally give you a numbered tag. It's a single line, but you can go about and not feel "constricted" to the queue (tail). Don't forget, Frys also has a "semaphore" who cues people to the next register. ‡among many places like hospitals, information centers (DMVs), etc.
    • MartinCron 15y ago
      My favorite hardware store (Dunn Lumber in Seattle) does the same thing. It was difficult to get used to at first, but it's really nice to just take a number, wander around, and then not feel like you're holding anyone up if you don't order your lumber as fast as is humanly possible.
  • squidfood 15y ago
    My experience is exactly opposite. Sure a big line is initially discouraging. But while in line, if I've chosen one of several lines, I fixate: is my chosen cashier a slow idiot? is a customer ahead of me fumbling for change? Should I jump? There's another line opening, should I get ready to run for it? I invariably end up at the front more directly annoyed and snippy at "my" cashier and the whole process. With a single line, I can see everything humming along, moving forward more often, if one transaction takes a while, so what, it's not a race, I relax more, I'll get there.
• nhebb 15y ago
  Fry's might not be a good example because many of their orders are ticketed items, so the cashier does more than just ring you up. For example, last week I bought a hard drive there, and it took a minute for the cashier to retrieve the item then print out the warranty disclaimer/waiver. Target, on the other hand, has checkout arrangement that looks like a rabbit warren.
  • mattmcknight 15y ago
    The Target near me is an interesting case, because the set of registers is so spread at least 30 checkouts, maybe 75m across. The time it would take some of these bumblers to get to the single line and then walk to the check out would cancel out a lot of the gain.
• anamax 15y ago
  The single line has another property that fry's exploits. The single line is longer, so it has more space in which to pitch impulse purchases. (It's probably shorter than the sum of the "equivalent" individual lines.)
• Semiapies 15y ago
  Best Buy has been doing that, too.