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Self-checkout won. Every time I go to Target there are two lanes manned by staff. Everything else is self-checkout. This is every Target I go to in my state.
by echelon 1y ago
Self-checkout won.
Every time I go to Target there are two lanes manned by staff. Everything else is self-checkout. This is every Target I go to in my state.
Every time I go to Home Depot, there is one person manning the checkout. Everything else is self-checkout.
Even fast food places have self-checkout stalls that seem to be growing in popularity. In the last few years, McDonalds has been rapidly deploying the tech.
Boba places. Self-checkout has been promoted to first-class and is the only way to order at several of them.
It's everywhere. When I was growing up, Kroger used to have every single checkout aisle staffed. Now they have one or two.
I'm honestly shocked that the perception is that self-checkout hasn't won. It's everywhere and dominates the checkout modalities.
> the shoplifting deterrence effect of staffing
This is all cost modeled. They have lots of cameras and security staff by the door. Even if the tech doesn't work, the mere threat of getting caught is enough to stop most losses. The business accepts that they won't catch everything. They're still saving money by using automated checkout.
- aetherson 1y agoIt's uneven, I do see places that seem to have kept self-checkout minimal or nonexistent, but I think that you're right that overall it's winning.
- abenga 1y agoIsn't the perceived worsening of service (maybe more the various boycotts) one of the reasons Target is hemorrhaging foot traffic?
- sundaeofshock 1y agoHmmm… I have not seen that. Everything I’ve read is the boycotts have really hit Target’s foot traffic.
- abenga 1y agoI was thinking of Angela Collier's video (she is a famous YouTuber around these parts) where she listed the rebrand/longer lines as one of the reasons people don't go as much.
- Macha 1y ago> Self-checkout won. I guess my point is that it won in the past. Cashiers that could be replaced by self-checkouts... have already been replaced by self-checkouts. AI doesn't seem to change that situation.
- lcnPylGDnU4H9OF 1y ago> Even if the tech doesn't work, the mere threat of getting caught is enough to stop most losses. This is not true. A store near me recently removed all of their self-checkout registers due to an abundance of shoplifting. When I read “Self-checkout won” I immediately thought, “Actually, shoplifting won where I’m from.” (Salt Lake City, Utah; not crime free, of course, but also not really known for crime.)