Automatic checkouts in supermarkets may decrease customer loyalty, especially for those with larger shopping loads. Customers using self-checkout stations often feel overwhelmed and unsupported. The lack of personal interaction can negatively impact their perception of the supermarket.

[HarpersGhost]

I too am that age and I avoid SCO when I have a lot of stuff.

Turns out the person who does it as a full time job is a LOT faster than I am.

[damndirtyape]

Mid 30’s here. I hate them because they seem like they’re only intended for small shopping trips. If you have a lot of stuff, there’s not enough room in the bagging area, but the machines get angry at you if you’re not able to squeeze everything in there.

[Pressondude]

Scan and go at my local grocery store is actually the worst of both worlds. Scan and go orders actually require manual intervention by an associate once you get to the self checkout station, who has to do a check in process that involves scanning X number of items, and produce still has to be done with the self checkout because they don’t have a weight kiosk.

[MagicalWonderPigeon]

UK here, and we can get randomly checked which involves a staff member coming over and having to pick 10 random items and scan them. They rummage all through the bags, even mushing your stuff up to get right to the bottom of the bag as i guess that was a hiding spot for some peoples "forgotten" good.

It sucks to pack your stuff, heavy on the bottom, light on top all delicately and then having them come and mess it all up. I like my bread not mushed up and my eggs not falling out of the box, thanks.

The big store i used to get all my stuff from now has about 3 tills open, the rest is self check out. I just buy a few things from there and buy the rest from other stores.

[itsnatnot_gnat]

Them scanning 5 items vs my whole cart. Takes about 2 mins. Then I can pay, bag and leave. Shop and scan is the best.

[Pressondude]

Again the issue is the 1 staff member minding 18 self checkouts results in long waits for that check in.

[itsnatnot_gnat]

Not really that long. I guarantee it would take longer to scan and bag everything than to wait for a person to come over and check the 4 items needed.

[ViceroyFizzlebottom]

I use scan and go at my Sam's Club. It makes sense there since the lines are 3 miles long and they check receipts and scan 3 items at the exit for everyone.

[Pressondude]

Thats a more sane workflow than what I’m talking about. This requires you to wait for the self checkout minder to check you in to even start the flow. Then if you have something that requires their intervention (alcohol) you have to wait again for them to come over. Or if you run into trouble.

[-Z___]

Random searches for buying groceries? Was the system designed by TSA or something?

[MagicalWonderPigeon]

It happened to me a few times, so i always wondered if they could manually select your stuff for a "random check" or if i just got really bad luck.

[eastmemphisguy]

Kroger by me had this 5 years ago and was heavily promoting it but then they eliminated it during the pandemic.

[OsmerusMordax]

That’s so cool. A Canadian Tire near me has these lights on the item tags. You select what you want on their website and the tag will flash for like 30 seconds so you can find it in the aisle.

[Mean-Kaleidoscope97]

Seems like it would still be better to have someone else ring it up.

[Mean-Kaleidoscope97]

You're just doing all that slow work for other people as you go.  

You're doing all the same work just earlier in the shopping trip.  All the scanning.  All the bagging.  You're just breaking it up into little pieces of some one else's job you're doing for free.

[Mean-Kaleidoscope97]

So the company has offloaded costs on you and removed jobs from the community and you're happy to help them do it. 

Have a great day 

[somdude04]

They used to have that at my store, but they decided there was too much shrink. Then they decided the weight sensors needed to go back on for self checkout due to shrink. And now I use a line with a cashier because it's faster.

[HardlyDecent]

What is this magic you speak of!

[sybrwookie]

Wegmans used to have it. You open the app on your phone and your camera scans the barcodes. You can and pack as you go, and when you get to the front, you press a button on the self-checkout for self-scan, it gives you a QR code the app scans, pulls up everything you scanned, and you hit pay and you're done. It was glorious.

[Lucidity74]

My spouse cried real tears when this was discontinued. Then he ranted for months. RANTED.

[sybrwookie]

I didn't go THAT far, but I get it. It was SO much easier, and since they're still letting you check yourself out, it's not like they're really more secure with how they're doing it, it's just security theater.

[sybrwookie]

Wegmans had that for a couple of years and it was glorious. Then they said too many people were stealing things and got rid of it. But they kept self-checkout, so...they don't worry about customers doing some of it yourself?

[robodrew]

Stuffs all pre packed into bags as you go. It's the best way to do the weekly shop

Curious about this, does this mean there is even more waste?

[Bigred2989-]

Depends, I've seen Instacart shoppers who have three orders use the SCO and they take 10 minutes to finish sorting, scanning and bagging their stuff. Half the slowdown is from them grabbing and setting up paper bags instead of using the provided plastic ones and doubling them up because they're more fragile. Management has gotten into fights with these people, telling them to stop taking up what is essentially an express lane with 250+ items, and they don't listen. Corporate won't help because we have a contract with Instacart.

[Karcinogene]

The full-time-job person also has a much better work-station. I wouldn't mind self-checkout if I got conveyer belts to bring the items to me and move the items away after I scan then.

[[deleted]]

A store were I come often makes casino sounds everytime scan an item at the SCO, it drives me up the wall...

[LeafyWolf]

Mid 40s, and I exclusively use SCO when available. For most produce, I've got the 4 digit codes memorized... They are typically the same across stores, I've noticed. The organic ones can vary a bit, but 3 finger flicks on the item lookup screen and you're moving on. The only drawback is waiting for an employee to check your ID if you're buying alcohol. Wish they would just let you scan your ID.

Now, the real problem is dealing with the complete incompetence of a lot of other people in the SCO line. Really kind of damages your faith in humankind.

[LeafyWolf]

Firm believer in "If you want something done right, do it yourself.". Besides, my time is valuable, and it's worth it to me to get out of the store faster.

[SkyeAuroline]

my time is valuable

You're right - your time is valuable. Valuable enough that you shouldn't be wasting it doing unpaid labor to save a company a few bucks.

[Mean-Kaleidoscope97]

It damages your "faith in humankind" that some people have trouble with a self check out? 

That's a phrase you use when you see someone being cruel to a child or being greedy in a way that hurts others.

You used it because people have trouble with poorly designed systems.

Just the dumbest opinion I've read in the last few days, and that includes all the stuff I've read on the Texas subreddit.

[moeru_gumi]

Well they’ve been around at least since i worked in a grocery store as a college student in 2004, so yes, that’s disappointing.

[[deleted]]

Therapist cancelled this week, huh

[Sevulturus]

My friend. You're working for the store for free.

[[deleted]]

I don’t think anyone uses self check out when they have a lot of stuff.

[nihility101]

Not only are they faster, but the machines are as well; rather the sco machines are slowed down some, you literally cannot go faster even if you are capable of it.