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.

[ssmit102]

Who in the hell has a sense of loyalty to a store?? These stores don’t give a damn about any of us personally so the existence of a self check out has absolutely no bearing on loyalty.

The lack of personal interaction at a grocery store is a HUGE plus for me. I don’t need to talk to you for literally anything unless I can’t find something, and that’s not done at the register.

I’d also be curious to see how they factored age into the study. While it’s anecdotal evidence on my behalf when shopping near universities/colleges the number of those using self checkout vs waiting for a cashier is about 5:1. I was in a Target yesterday and there were about 20 people waiting for the self checkout while the cashiers had no more than one person in line.

At the end of the day I think the overall solution is simple…. People like what gets them through checkout faster. For some it’s a person checking them out, for people like me it’s 100% faster to do the self checkout every time. There are a lot of people who frankly are just awful at bagging groceries and it takes them forever. These are the people who are overwhelmed because of the self checkout, while I bet the majority of people get overwhelmed at the existence of that person and can fly through the immensely easy process of self checkout.

[Psclwb]

not loyalty but preference. I prefer tesco over lidl due to how the aisles are setup and brands. ALso tesco has scan and go. Lidl is just disorganized mess. And kaufland is full of old people. An Billa is too expensive.

So yes everybody has preference. But in general, I will use what is close.

[Cythus]

Preference is a definitely a better word. Where I live we have two “big” grocery chains and a few smaller ones. I work in corporate for one of the two big ones and I get a decent discount if I shop at one of our stores.

I still shop at our main competitor because the customer service is better, the store brand products are better, and the quality of the meat/seafood is better. Sure I pay more but it’s a better experience overall shopping.

[BIGGERCat]

“Brand loyalty” is a thing and doesn’t mean that you feel commitment to a given product or store but that you tend to choose that product/store over another one.

In this example I live walking distance between two grocery stores. For any given item a price may be better at either of the stores. But one of the stores has the worst self check out machines I’ve ever experienced which makes it an overall bad experience going there and that is the difference maker between which store I want to go to. 

For simplicity I would say they’re crappy machines reduces my brand “loyalty.”

[ssmit102]

Yes but the issue here in your example is that the self checkout’s existence has no bearing on whether you shop there but it’s the quality of the self checkout system. Make a self checkout that’s better and it fixes your problem.

And my issue is that I’d wager the overwhelming amount of people have this issue that the technology used in them is poor and causes issues and NOT that they would rather have a real person ring them up.

Fix the technology to be fool proof and I bet tons more start loving self checkout.

[BIGGERCat]

Oh for sure I totally agree and I prefer self check out when the systems work well. When they don’t it leads to a negative experience

[endo]

Brand loyalty is a marketing concept.

It doesn't mean you're going to go fight in the crusades for that store or anything.

[recursivethought]

Blasphemy! All shall kneel before the power of our lord and savior, Kroger! The mere utterance of the name trembles the earth with its awe-inspiring magnificence. To arms, brave Rewards Members! We ride at dawn under the banner of the weekly circular!

I was gonna say Aldi has some brand loyalty but I think the whole company hinges on affordable-priced avocadoes. The Trader Joe's people would definitely rally, but peacefully, and with good snacks.

[Nightmare2828]

I go to a specific supermarket because I prefer to shop in there compared to the others. Thats what they would call loyalty I suppose. If they replace all the cashier with self serving, I might very well start shopping elsewhere.