Walmart, Costco and other companies rethink self-checkout, some stores removing them
Submitted 11 months ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/13/business/self-checkout-stores-shopping/index.html
Comments
knightly@pawb.social 11 months ago
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Is this a real tweet?
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Is this a real tweet?
Lemmy users really will take the most obvious jokes at face value.
knightly@pawb.social 11 months ago
No clue! XD
Pandantic@midwest.social 11 months ago
Sounds like something Collinsville would say for sure.
Sgt_choke_n_stroke@lemmy.world 11 months ago
O green peppers are 99 cents each but red and yellow are 1.29? That’s so weird all these peppers I’m buying are green.
Fuck you, I’m the cashier now.
lobut@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Bill Burr: “what’re you gonna do? cut my hours?”
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Also
Oh, something didnt scan and you walked out without paying for it?
Enjoy your broken spine as cops appear in full swat outfit and tackle you to the ground and beat you with clubs because you are shocked and arent immediately calm and compliant.
thereisalamp@reddthat.com 11 months ago
My husband had a nasty cold and the self scan he was using we later found out should have had an out of order sign on it. After missing the fact that it wasn’t dinging for every item because he couldn’t hear well, they pulled him and had him arrested. His total was off by $100 and he should’ve realized it, admittedly, but he just wanted to get home. We were able to get them to drop the charges because the self check out was malfunctioning but he’s still banned from Walmart.
Joeffect@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Clearly a joke, but they will start a record for you till they can get you for a felony…
Rentlar@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Yeah I’m not paid to use your stupid machine properly. I generally avoid self-checkout and never use it if I have a weight item. When there are no full service registers or only one, you know I’m going to be extra sloppy with the self-checkout.
Garbanzo@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I generally avoid self-checkout and never use it if I have a manually entered item.
At a certain point you’re just denying yourself the savings. Go get that informal employee discount!
A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I’m against what Walmart especially has done by remodelling stores and removing their checkout lanes and replacing them all with self checkout.
but I have nothing against a store having a couple self checkout lanes.
Cause they are nice to have if you only bought one or two things, and don’t want to wait behind a full cart… or if you are buying something you are personally embarrassed about and don’t want to have a cashier see.
Self Checkout should be a very minor option valuable to a select few.
not the primary means of checking out for everyone.
fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Oh for sure, if I gotta guess I’m picking the one that’s best for me every time.
Self checkout wants my opinion I’ll give it :)
WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Remember kids, if you see someone shoplifting or switching the barcodes at your big-box self-checkout: No you didn’t.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
Preach!
I’m lucky enough to not need to take the risks involved in order to get by, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to fuck over someone that may be unluckier than me. Idgaf what it is, I’m fucking sergeant Schultz.
WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The way I see it, you’re doing a public service…
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You’re creating jobs in loss prevention.
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You’re helping make the case for retaining more checkout workers.
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You’re keeping those minimum-wage checkout supervisors safe by not putting them in a position to intervene with desperate people trying to feed themselves.
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You’re helping the store avoid wage theft by having you play unpaid, untrained, unqualified security guard.
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You’re helping the needy feed themselves.
Give yourself a pat on the back, you local hero! 🫡
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vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 11 months ago
My grandmother snitch on some poor bastard stealing crystal light at walmart. If someones stealing fucking crystal light from walmart theyre clearly in way worse than I am.
WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I worked at a supermarket in a wealthy area for years - no one stole more than the wealthy old crones from the retirement village next around the corner.
SpookyUnderwear@eviltoast.org 11 months ago
If I cared enough, I’d tell someone because I hate thieves, but I generally prefer to mind my own business. Same philosophy if I saw someone stealing from a small business.
some_designer_dude@lemmy.world 11 months ago
If you hate thieves, you should love shoplifters. The real thieves are at the top scheming more ways to fuck the poor.
WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Walmart and their ilk steal far more in wage theft than they lose to shoplifters.
spudwart@spudwart.com 11 months ago
But the self-checkout cameras sure did.
evranch@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Genuine mistake, I can’t be expected to do a job I wasn’t trained for. All those apples look the same to me
ShrimpTeriyaki@thelemmy.club 11 months ago
Thats why you follow safe Covid Precautions. 😁👍
FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Especially when these people aren’t shoplifting big-ticket items like TVs. They’re shoplifting things they’re desperate for like food.
WaxedWookie@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Oh - that I just don’t care about. Do you care about the wage theft they’re committing? It’s at a far larger scale than any shoplifting.
Why are you so concerned with protecting a massive multi-billionaire-owned company plagued with ethical issues? Are those billionaire boots super-tasty or something?
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I have no sympathy for companies losing money due to theft at self-checkout, it’s a cost saving measure that’s bitten them in the ass.
They also suck for alcohol, or anything that doesn’t have a barcode, as mentioned in the story. I never buy either of those products at self checkout.
Raiderkev@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Ha, I once got booted from a Safeway in my early 20’s when I was trying to buy beers and the lady who was supposed to be verifying ID was shooting the shit w her coworker. She clearly saw the thing flashing, but wanted to finish her story. I tried waving at her to no avail. She had a very I’ll get to you in a minute vibe, but she clearly wasn’t talking about work stuff. I had worked at a Lucky previously and they used the same self checkout system system. I knew I just needed to type my bday on their terminal to get it to sell, so I went n did it lol. Hey, self check out amirite? I figured fuck it, I’ll do that part too I guess.
She finally noticed like right before I paid and took my beers and wouldn’t let me pay. I was like here’s my ID, I’ve been waiting like 5 minutes to show you. Manager showed up told me to leave, and never come back, it was a whole thing. Granted, I was 100% being a young , dumb prick, but I was annoyed with the lady not doing her job, and wasting my time. Having been on the other side of that terminal before, knowing how easy it was to do, I was super annoyed that she wasn’t even acknowledging me trying to get her attention. Fun times lol.
fosstulate@iusearchlinux.fyi 11 months ago
I knew I just needed to type my bday on their terminal to get it to sell, so I went n did it lol.
EWW
piecat@lemmy.world 11 months ago
That said, I really liked the opportunity to not have to socialize with someone
Blackmist@feddit.uk 11 months ago
Self checkout is useful when you only want a few things. Much faster.
If you’re getting a full trolley, you’d need a barcode scanner to take round the shop with you. If you don’t have that, it’s faster to go with a manned checkout.
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 11 months ago
A grocery store near me has the self-scan as part of the app. It’s pretty good, but honestly it’s not that bad to do a full trip through the self checkout.
residentmarchant@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The theft is a feature, not a bug in my eyes!
Alcohol isn’t so bad where I’m at, I just scan it first to give the worker some time to scan their badge and let me continue
WarlordSdocy@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I honestly only use self check out. I don’t buy a ton in a single shopping trip and I just find it easier to do it myself since I bring my own bulky bags that go on the side of my bike. A lot easier for me in general and sucks some places are getting rid of it.
TheGreenGolem@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Interesting! Alcohol doesn’t have a barcode there?
Here it does. But the self checkout lamp will go to red instantly and a clerk has to come to approve your age.
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 11 months ago
It has a barcode, but most places haven’t figured out the “show ID to a human” flow yet.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 11 months ago
But the self checkout lamp will go to red instantly and a clerk has to come to approve your age.
Which negates the benefit of self service.
Wahots@pawb.social 11 months ago
Trying to tell the pears and their variants and potatoes and their variants apart is such a pain in the ass without a barcode. Especially since the example pic is usually quite different, and like 10px on a 480p greased up, airgapped touchscreen. I hate self checkout. The only time I use it is when the store is open late at night. Which, I actually do like. Having stores open till 1am or 3am can be extremely handy, especially if you have an office job during the day and do night classes.
Subverb@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I bought beer last time I went through self checkout and of course it called some teenage girl over to check my ID; I’m pushing 60. I just said “No. I’m old enough to be your grandfather.” She was fine with that.
rainerloeten@lemmy.world 11 months ago
After a few times I memorized where the bread or fruit (w/o barcode) I usually buy is in the menu and am almost equally fast as an employee would be. So it just took me some time to adjust personally.
LifeLikeLady@lemmy.world 11 months ago
At Costco it’s great minus the membership checks. Thanks this was a quick process, now let me stop and take my card out so you can see I’m not stealing deals.
Walmart, fuck you hire more cashier’s why am I waiting 10 minutes to checkout at self checkout when you have 50 closed fucking lanes!
Kolanaki@yiffit.net 11 months ago
I straight up said this the last time I was there to one of the managers watching the self checkout after I heard them complaining about the long ass line. Maybe if you actually turned the other 20 lanes on instead of only having 3 the lines would go by quicker, ya dumbasses.
PRUSSIA_x86@lemmy.world 11 months ago
You expect them to pull 20 extra people put of their ass?
revv@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
The thing I really hate about it is that where I live, they don’t have bags at the self checkout. Cuz you know, someone might steal a fucking plastic bag. 🙄
swan_pr@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Where I live (Montréal, Canada) plastic bags are banned everywhere. You either bring your own or buy a reusable at the cash. Some places (like grocery stores) also sell paper bags. You get used to it. If you have a car you leave a bunch of reusables in the trunk, if you don’t you just have to remember to bring one with you. The also sell some super thin ones you can carry in your pockets that are sturdy and large enough for a small run at the grocery store.
raynethackery@lemmy.world 11 months ago
In the before times, when you could still find baggers at checkouts, paper bags were provided. I know the cost was figured in to the prices but it is B.S. that they now charge for them.
Romanmir@lemmy.today 11 months ago
Neverminding that we have to scan the cards to even begin scanning the soon to be our stuff.
Wahots@pawb.social 11 months ago
The Costco self checkouts can only do a certain amount of weight per square inch before they shit the bed. Which is bad, because it’s costco. Unloading the entire shelf while you haven’t paid can’t be done, so you have to scan, hit the weight limit, pay, unload, then scan and load the shelf again…and then pay again. Idiotic design that multiplies the wait times considerably, lol.
LifeLikeLady@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I only use them if I’m carrying my items in my hands.
FapFlop@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My Costco has had “self checkout” for about a year now. There’s a Costco employee that waves you over and scans all your items. I really don’t get it.
Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 11 months ago
No they aren’t they are gonna lean in even harder what a dumbass story. One time fixed cost will always win over paying people in perpetuity
TronCat@reddthat.com 11 months ago
Yeah I have trouble believing this. They just remodeled the Walmart near me and I bet there’s 60 self checkout machines. There’s like maybe 3-5 normal checkout lines in between the self checkout.
EssentialCoffee@midwest.social 11 months ago
I saw a grocery store put in the best self checkout lanes I’ve seen, then take them out a couple years later because their clientale didn’t like them.
Things be weird sometimes.
Goferking0@ttrpg.network 11 months ago
My favorite is still having them closed when low staffed because they still need a person dedicated to helping them.
Just amazing how much trouble management goes to to make experiences for customers worse
gekkonaut@lemmy.world 11 months ago
unexpected item in the bagging area. place items in the bagging area. unexpected item in the bagging area.
MycoBro@lemmy.world 11 months ago
At my Walmart the employees don’t stop people from stealing food. They told me as much.
Agent641@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Jokes on them, I shoplift at the staffed checkout too.
zeppo@lemmy.world 11 months ago
In my experience, self-checkout started with the weight sensors, rather than adding them later. I’ve noticed some stores have a system now without the weight thing, which probably cuts down on confusing and time-consuming error situations, but it makes it seem chaotic. My parents use them in the most fucked up way - leave everything in the cart, scan stuff, bag it, then put it in the cart, and I’m just WHAT? Aren’t they going to accuse you of stealing? Some walmarts aggressively pursue claims of theft from self checkout, like in the case of this lady who was awarded 2.1 million after being accused of stealing ‘over $30’, which she said was not true. This article details the story of a lady who said she was arrested after not scanning things by accident, and the article notes “Sixty-two other people were cited and released by police at the same Tucson Walmart between January 2021 and April 2022.”
During the civil trial, which lasted about three weeks, the judge criticized Walmart for the “intentional loss” of the security camera footage, according to court records. The judge, James T. Patterson, said that the court would advise the jury that the videotapes “were destroyed by the defendants with the intent” to deprive the plaintiff of the benefit of seeing them “and that the jury therefore is to presume that the content of the missing videos would be adverse” to the defendants.
Walmart also is starting to use ‘AI’ to detect self checkout theft, which I’m sure will be foolproof and work out great.
And if you’re wondering which item causes the most problems, it’s milk. O’Herlihy explains, “People find it hard to scan milk … Sometimes they get frustrated and they just don’t scan it.”
What?
Anyway, I’m sure they love not paying employees to do this, but it seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
smackjack@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Walmarts’s self checkout is the only one in my area that doesn’t frustrate the hell out of me. I’ve stopped going to certain other stores simply because I don’t like their self checkout system.
spectradawn77@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Don’t get it. Sam’s and BJs both have scanning apps on the phone. Most amazing tech ever! Costco… HURRY UP! Also, Sam’s and Bjs don’t check my card because I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO BUY ANYTHING WITHOUT THE CARD ANYWAYS… Costco!!
atrielienz@lemmy.world 11 months ago
The only reason for Costco to do this would be theft prevention or to make sure members are the only ones using their cards.
digger@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
As long as shrink stays below what they save by removing cashiers they will stay. It may be location specific removals at high shrink stores.
paddirn@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I avoid self-checkout as often as possible. In my mind, that’s taking a job away from a physical person, it’s a cost-savings for the retailer, but customers never see any benefit from it. I choose the person checkout everytime as my little bit of solidarity with my fellow humans.
mojo@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Literally the opposite is happening. Look at any busy store: self checkout can handle like 10 people, compared to registers which are significantly less at any given time. Registers account for much less business, and corporations are going to try and get by the minimal amount of employees as possible to function. Handling physical cash also adds more complexity with tills having to be deposited, audited, and withdrawn daily.
Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social 11 months ago
Replace them with “no chit chat” lanes. I’m just buying some pasta, I don’t want to talk to you.
Nougat@kbin.social 11 months ago
I don't use self checkouts because I hate trying to get those fucking bags open.
Also give cashiers chairs.
ThatFembyWho@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
yeeeeah. They’ll have to hire people to work the checkout lanes in that case… which means paying enough to compete with other employers who offer more. Case in point, here it’s like 12/hr here to work in a grocery, vs 16/hr at Amazon. But even if they do this, people will still shoplift. Self checkout didn’t create the problem, it rather treats everyone like a suspect.
The grocery I go to never has more than one staffed checkout lane at any time, typically a very long line of people too old, too stubborn, or with too many items to do it themselves. During the day it’s 8 or 16 self-checkout lanes (minus broke ones), and they close in the evening, so everyone is forced to use the slow staffed checkout.
RedditReject@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I guess there is good and bad with either style. I generally prefer the self checkout because I can bag my own stuff
Flamingflowerz@kbin.social 11 months ago
Prefer self checkout because no talking and I'm typically faster than most cashiers. Nothing sucks more than waiting 3 mins while a new cashier tries to figure out if you handed then a turnip or a rutabaga lmao.
Alchemy@lemmy.world 11 months ago
My costco “self checkout” is really just an employee scanning your things and then you box them. Does move quicker than the standard lanes, though.
Kowowow@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Yes finally burn them all down let me grab my sledgehammer I’ll help
Churbleyimyam@lemm.ee 11 months ago
I hate self-service checkouts SO MUCH. Especially as my local supermarket has phased out ones that take cash. On the other hand it is cost-effective being able to put artisan cheese through as potatoes.
tdawg@lemmy.world 11 months ago
If you have the privilege of being able to walk to and from your grocery store then self checkout is great. I get why people hate it in suburbia tho
ArugulaZ@kbin.social 11 months ago
I really hate this crap. Pay people to ring up and bag my groceries. Heaven knows you're charging enough for them that you should be offering me this courtesy.
trackindakraken@lemmy.whynotdrs.org 11 months ago
Several times, but not recently, Walmart self-checkout machines would reset after I scanned the first item, I dunno why. But I figured I did my part by scanning it, so I didn’t re-scan it, even though I knew it had reset. I could just play dumb, which isn’t hard for me, if anyone asked. No one ever asked, but they upgraded the software, and it stopped doing that.
The employees seem a bit happier as attendants than cashiers, so I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t know how many lost their jobs to the machines, though.
I’ll admit that I’m happier with self-checkout, because I almost never need to wait in line anymore.
guyrocket@kbin.social 11 months ago
I heard about strategies to print your own barcodes and stick them on merch to get a "discount". And that were intended to fool cashiers.
Imagine if I don't have to think about a cashier doing this transaction. $2 steaks for everyone!
InvaderDJ@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I used to hate self checkout. I was a cashier at a grocery store back in 2004-2005 and I found self check out slow and finnicky.
I’ve gotten used to them now and it seems like newer ones have resolved most of the speed and weight sensing issue. Now I prefer them with small trips.
My biggest problems now are that I still need a person for booze and coupons. If I could just scan my damn ID when I’m buying beer, and then scan and insert my own coupons, I’d be set.
AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
I like self checkout as an option, almost everywhere.
I DON’T like REQUIRED self checkout.
Sarmyth@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 months ago
This really is it. I managed a grocery store for years, and the problem these companies have is that the self checkout can replace too many cashiers. Note that it can take the place of 1 or 2, but really, the boon of the self checkout is to really function as the best express lane ever. It should take the heat off your normal cashiers and provide an option best suited for quick purchases under 10 items.
But what ends up happening is schedulers drop their usual front end down from 4 cashiers to 1 and a self checkout host and completely nullify any gains their customers would have gotten from the enhanced service options. People really do like self checkouts but resent the hell out of being forced to use them as a blatant cash grab.
AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
I will put one other mistake in there, is self checkouts with too many prompts. I avoid using self checkout at a few stores because the minimum number of prompts is higher than 3.
Good: scanning starts the process, select done AT MOST asks for how many bags, then payment type, swipe and pay (optional email receipt on pin pad).
Bad: Cant’ start till you tap start, asks for member ship card up front, asks if you want to donate, scan, asks if you want to use your rewards, asks for number of bags, also would you like an email receipt?
deegeese@sopuli.xyz 11 months ago
Last time I was at a Target with only self checkout I went to customer service and had them scan me out.
mean_bean279@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I stopped shopping at a local grocery store because the damn self checkout made you scan everything and place it on the stupid scale. I couldn’t put my own personal bag there as it would upset the whole system. It ended up wasting more of my time. If they want self checkout to be used more they need to understand someone isn’t stealing and paying at the same time. Sure something might get missed on accident, but I’m not scanning $100 in groceries to steal some arbitrary amount.
Also, Home Depot took self checkout to the extreme and it sucks ass for it.
Empricorn@feddit.nl 11 months ago
This is so key. If don’t have enough regular lanes (which at times is just 1), the old/slow/large/complex orders are much more likely to go through self-checkout. Now they’re annoyed that they “have” to use the machines, and so is everybody behind them that has to wait for them. Congratulations: you’ve managed to piss off literally everyone!
KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 months ago
Walmart in my area was pretty famous for dropping all cashiers at certain times of the day, and splitting the self checkout “watcher” with customer service. Bit of a clusterfuck but they kept it up for years before 2020 made them shake things up.
Maeve@kbin.social 11 months ago
They schedule what is budgeted by corporate, ime.
lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee 11 months ago
Same. I’m purchasing 2 small things and there’s a line with the creepy incel cashier? Yep self checkout FTW. I have an entire cart full of stuff and the store doesn’t even have a cashier? FML.
AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 11 months ago
Ya, having a lot of items, or odd items like vegetables or bulk items at a grocery store that need to have a code entered or need to be weighed suck at self checkout.
I would also say large items, but home depot and costco provide wireless scanners which work very well. Can just roll your cart up grab the scanner scan and go without taking stuff off.
pohart@programming.dev 11 months ago
I don’t mind self checkout. It turns out i can be so incompetent that the self checkout watcher has to scan everything for me.
Bye@lemmy.world 11 months ago
I actually really dislike it. I hate how it takes away lots of jobs from people. For example, there used to be a lot of retarded people who did bagging. That was an awesome way to get them into the workforce.
I understand some people don’t like social interaction and like self check out, but they should suck it up.