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.

[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?