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I think Redbox is part of a bigger trend: automation will destroy tons of service jobs and "hurt" a lot of established industries in the process. Blockbuster/Re

I think Redbox is part of a bigger trend: automation will destroy tons of service jobs and "hurt" a lot of established industries in the process. Blockbuster/Redbox is a good example. I can replace a 5000 sq ft store and 10 employees with a kiosk that takes up a few sq ft. Selection might not be as good, but it's good enough for most people. Or take your typical restaurant. There's almost no reason that 95% of the waitstaff couldn't be replaced by ordering kiosks at each table. It would reduce errors and reduce costs. Or what about convenience stores? Figure out which items make up 90% of your sales, put them in an automated kiosk and put one on every street corner. You're now selling almost as much (or maybe even more) with dramatically lower costs. I think it's a good thing overall, but there will definitely be some big losers economically from such a dramatic shift.

apsurd 17y ago
Good thought analysis, but in general, there will always be people willing to pay to be waited on (in your restaurant example). If anything it would be more accurate to say fast-food workers would be most in trouble. Being a waiter is a skilled job afterall =)
- ryanwaggoner 17y ago
  There may always be those people, but convenience and price win over personal service. Example: Wal-Mart.
  - ardit33 17y ago
    if it was for price people wouldn't go at a restaurant, but just buy the cooked food and eat it home. Most non-cheap restaurant ($12 per meal and over) will just not automate. Think about it, you can get your coke/cola from a vending machine and it has been like that for ages, but you are still not able to get the beer/fancy drink. Even if sometimes they can be rude, a bartender is part of the experience.
    - apsurd 17y ago
      I should have also edited my post to add: I frequently (3 times per week) go to tea houses to program, in order to get out of the house. Some spots cost upwards of $6 dollars, for TEA! Do I spend the money? Hell yes; very simply because pretty asian girls serve you the tea with a smile.
philwelch 17y ago
I ate at a place once where you ordered into a mic at your table and an overhead model train would carry your food straight from the kitchen. Apparently this was implemented as a cost-saving move during the Depression when they couldn't afford to hire servers, but they kept it around as a gimmick. Japan already has massive vending machines to replace convenience stores, and supermarkets have more and more self-checkouts as quickly as store redesigns (and, I would imagine, grocers' unions) will allow.

apsurd 17y ago

Good thought analysis, but in general, there will always be people willing to pay to be waited on (in your restaurant example). If anything it would be more accurate to say fast-food workers would be most in trouble. Being a waiter is a skilled job afterall =)

ryanwaggoner 17y ago
There may always be those people, but convenience and price win over personal service. Example: Wal-Mart.
- ardit33 17y ago
  if it was for price people wouldn't go at a restaurant, but just buy the cooked food and eat it home. Most non-cheap restaurant ($12 per meal and over) will just not automate. Think about it, you can get your coke/cola from a vending machine and it has been like that for ages, but you are still not able to get the beer/fancy drink. Even if sometimes they can be rude, a bartender is part of the experience.
  - apsurd 17y ago
    I should have also edited my post to add: I frequently (3 times per week) go to tea houses to program, in order to get out of the house. Some spots cost upwards of $6 dollars, for TEA! Do I spend the money? Hell yes; very simply because pretty asian girls serve you the tea with a smile.

philwelch 17y ago

I ate at a place once where you ordered into a mic at your table and an overhead model train would carry your food straight from the kitchen. Apparently this was implemented as a cost-saving move during the Depression when they couldn't afford to hire servers, but they kept it around as a gimmick. Japan already has massive vending machines to replace convenience stores, and supermarkets have more and more self-checkouts as quickly as store redesigns (and, I would imagine, grocers' unions) will allow.