quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Something that I do not understand: With multiple self-service checkout lanes, more than half of them are usually closed.

Not in the new layout. There are no longer lanes, per se.

In the place of lanes it's just a large open floorplan checkout area with a ring of a couple dozen self checkout kiosks around the perimeter.

The kiosks all run 24/7, and you walk up to whichever one is available. There are then a handful of employees roving about to help out with problems and do stuff like alcohol ID checks.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Something that I do not understand: With multiple self-service checkout lanes, more than half of them are usually closed.

Not in the new layout. There are no longer lanes, per se.

In the place of lanes it's just a large open floorplan checkout area with a ring of a couple dozen self checkout kiosks around the perimeter.

The kiosks all run 24/7, and you walk up to whichever one is available. There are then a handful of employees roving about to help out with problems and do stuff like alcohol ID checks.

The Walmart stores in my area, both the big Super Walmart and the Neighborhood Grocery, have a mix.

There's an open floorplan area, similar to what you showed. That is not what I'm referring to.

Many (most?) of the lanes with conveyers, that were the standard cashier type, have been converted to self checkout. These are the ones that I'm talking about. Fewer than half of these are in service at any given time. There does not seem to be any readily apparent reason to have more than half of them closed, especially when there are customers lined up, waiting for a self-service register.

How is alcohol handled? We’ve had self checkout for years, but no stores of any brand are 100%. I assume because it’s not legal to sell alcohol without a person verifying age.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:

How is alcohol handled? We’ve had self checkout for years, but no stores of any brand are 100%. I assume because it’s not legal to sell alcohol without a person verifying age.

In the stores around here, the self-service register stops processing and the red light flashes, to summon a clerk, who verifies age and then enters a code or swipes a card to allow the register to continue with the checkout.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

If your not a trained cashier then some of the items may not be scanned properly when you run them over the bar code reader.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
The Walmart stores in my area, both the big Super Walmart and the Neighborhood Grocery, have a mix.

There's an open floorplan area, similar to what you showed. That is not what I'm referring to.

Right. Your stores just haven't been updated to the newest layout. As noted, the NWA stores are typically the first to get changes like that, since Wal-Mart is headquartered up here.

But it's almost assuredly coming nationwide.

I'm fine with it anywhere, particularly Y'all Mart where the cashiers are slow, the process itself is slow, and they never ever have enough lanes open to accommodate the volume, seems it's just not predictable enough for them...

I really don't care one way or another as long as it doesn't make me have to wait longer to buy something. Our local Walmart is notorious for having like 25 checkout lanes but only like 2 or 3 open at any given time. I'd rather have more self-checkout counters than a bunch of unstaffed regular checkout lanes, as long as the software is working right.

At Sam's Club, you can scan everything in your cart with an app on your phone, pay on your phone, and skip the checkout line altogether. You just show the security person your phone receipt when exiting the store. I hate going to Sam's due to the crowds, but that app works great, at least in my experience. I wish Costco had one.

Our Winn-Dixie experimented with self-checkout lanes a few years ago. They only had four counters, but people were using them, and it worked pretty well, especially if you only had a couple of items. They ended up shutting them down though after about a year. I heard it was due to increased theft.

Their labor costs are controllable with "improvements" like these.

When you have their footprint, if you can control the number of employees who regardless of merit are entitled to $16 local or state minimum-wages for simply showing up, it makes a difference. The self-checkout kiosks don't sue you, don't make UI claims when they get fired for cause (and win at the hearing if it's someplace like Seattle, or California, or other leftist cesspool), don't unionize, don't steal your stuff, don't require government-mandated parenting leave or disability or FMLA or insurance, etc.

I am not a huge Wal-Mart fan, but I don't blame them for going in this direction.

Those four muttonheads hanging around to "help" with the self-check out? They're not handling cash, are probably part time, etc. Not a bad model, really.

quote:

I really don't care one way or another as long as it doesn't make me have to wait longer to buy something. Our local Walmart is notorious for having like 25 checkout lanes but only like 2 or 3 open at any given time. I'd rather have more self-checkout counters than a bunch of unstaffed regular checkout lanes, as long as the software is working right.

Heck yeah!

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
$15 an hour requirements = automated cashier stations, its the future.

Prefer using self service checkout most of the time, especially when I have just a few items, in and out in record time.

Yup. Raising the minimum wage just eliminates jobs by replacing them with robots.. and makes things more expensive. There isn't a benefit for anybody.

I don't mind self checkout because they can open 50 registers instead of having 3-4 manned registers with lines through the store. The only exception is if I have a bunch of stuff it's inconvenient because there is no where to put the products then the machine yells at you for taking things out of the bagging area and putting them in your cart. Or if I'm getting a lot of the same products because instead of scanning them one by one a cashier could just hit 50 x whatever it is.

I have never seen a walmart or anywhere else with the layout in the pictures above where there is actually counter space to place stuff. Usually here its just 3-4 bag spots and nothing else. Even with that layout though if you had a cart full of stuff hosting for a party of something there wouldn't be enough room to put stuff on those counters.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
$15 an hour requirements = automated cashier stations, its the future.

Prefer using self service checkout most of the time, especially when I have just a few items, in and out in record time.

Bingo! They are piloting that systems they need to avoid the $15 minimum wage. McDonalds already has the big self-order touch screens. Sorry but I am really looking forward to the "free shit" crowd who voted for the communists to see what it's like to have no job because you can't add enough value to justify $15. $10 maybe but not $15.

Anyone who passed Econ 101 knows how this is going to play out, but a whole lot of democrats just can't see reality.

^^^^^^^^^
I can shop where they have cashiers. I will spend the extra money. My time is more important. I patronize the local hardware stores as well even though they have higher prices. Walmart also has a poor product selection in certain areas and will quickly remove a food item with no notice.

I prefer self checkout to having my groceries handled by an imbecile cashier who moments earlier might have been picking God knows what out of the bottom of her shoe with her fake fingernail. Which I have actually witnessed while in line at the local grocery store.

The cashiers are rough on the produce...I've had them drop it on the floor without apology. I usually manage to get it checked out myself without bruising the apples. Of course, a pretty cashier or if I forget my glasses puts me right back in the human lane.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:

quote:

Originally posted by kramden:
Remember when gas stations pumped your gas?

....checked your oil, washed your windows and gave you a gift. That was service.

I once answered the telephone at the Sohio station I was working at with "Hello, Fill it up with Boron". By pure chance the caller was a Sohio executive calling to check to see if the oil change on his car was finished. He was quite amused by my greeting and responded with "I see we have you well trained". Note, that was the greeting for every pump customer and Sohio kept secret shoppers on staff to insure compliance with a customer friendly and customer comes first policy.

If kids today were transported back in time to the 60's they would be flat out stunned by how well they were treated everywhere they shopped. Because at that time you were not only REQUIRED to greet your customers with a smile you were also expected to insure that your customers left completely satisfied with their shopping experience.

Does diy enable easier petty theft? Obviously never tried personally but I’ve used the diy checkout at various places and if no one is looking, seems pretty easy to not scan some items and walk out. And even if you get caught, around here there are no implications - you don’t get stopped or penally charged.

quote:

Originally posted by bobandmikako:

At Sam's Club, you can scan everything in your cart with an app on your phone, pay on your phone, and skip the checkout line altogether. You just show the security person your phone receipt when exiting the store. I hate going to Sam's due to the crowds, but that app works great, at least in my experience. I wish Costco had one.

We went to Costco last month fully intending to join. We changed our mind when we saw the length of the checkout lines. I can’t believe Costco hasn’t implemented something like Sams Scan&Go app

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Does diy enable easier petty theft? Obviously never tried personally but I’ve used the diy checkout at various places and if no one is looking, seems pretty easy to not scan some items and walk out.

Knowing Walmart, I'm sure they've done a study and weighed the cost benefits against the savings before changing a long standing system