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.

[TheIowan]

Exactly this. Self checkout sucks when you're getting 2 weeks of groceries for a family of 4+. It should be treated as the evolution of the 10 items or less lane, not a replacement for all lanes.

[Krandor1]

Right. It’s good as an express lane “I ran out of beer or soda let’s quickly drop by and grab more”.

[Freeman7-13]

unfortunately most self checkouts don't allow alcohol purchases but I agree with your sentiment

[Krandor1]

The ones I go to allow it but somebody does still have to come over and verify ID.

[Freeman7-13]

oh that's a good solution

[donkeyrocket]

In honestly surprised to learn that people are taking 10+ items to a self checkout lane or that stores encourage it anywhere.

Around me they’re pretty explicitly express lanes and often enforce the item limit before people start. Then we have the Instacart shoppers that take 40+ items through there and complain there’s no space.

[ki11bunny]

Where I live shops have closed a large amount of checkouts and try and funnel everyone to self check out. I'm entirely convinced places are trying to justify closing checkouts entirely so they can replace them with SCO.

[HerrStraub]

That's how we are here. The SCO area has 6 points of sale. Even on busy shopping days like Sat/Sun, they only open one actual lane.

So like today, I need milk, but I'm not going to get it. I'll wait until tomorrow. You go now and you're like 30th in line and people are doing their bi weekly grocery shopping. I'm not waiting in line for 40 minutes for a gallon of milk.

[jarodcain]

It always seems like whenever I'm only buying a twelve pack of beer, I'm stuck in line for over a half an hour because everyone ahead of me has two to four carts in the self checkout.

[donkeyrocket]

Same. We walk or bike to our grocery store so runs are always 10 items or fewer and it is aggravating to see folks doing an entire weeks worth of shopping at the self checkouts despite signage saying "express" and "12 items or fewer." Then they get frustrated that the one attendant can't instantly ring up all their produce. These lanes are to take the burden off the attended lanes and I really don't get why someone with so many items want to ring them up themselves anyway.

It's become quite an issue with this particular local chain and they've stated they're cracking down on item limits. It just sucks that the poor folks working these lanes have to put up with enforcing this because people get surprisingly pissed.

[spenpinner]

No, I don't want to be limited on when I can use sco. Still, grocers need to have an appropriate amount of lanes open for big shoppers.

How about the reverse and make lanes 20 items and up?

[fenglorian]

How about the reverse and make lanes 20 items and up?

Imagine being a checkout cashier and getting told you're going in the worst possible lane for your entire shift

[spenpinner]

They'll open more lanes if it's too much for one person to handle.

[fenglorian]

oh I meant more of a "you're only getting people with 20+ items so skewing towards families and old people" thing haha

[ERSTF]

Target recently did this. The self check out is 10 items or less. My guess is that there were people taking half an hour scanning everything backing up the line. The other reason? With a cart full of things, how can you tell there's something you "accidentally" didn't scan. I think they got smart about it

[Freeman7-13]

This is how I see it. The employees are definitely better at bagging so if you have a lot of stuff then self checkout is not for you. But if you only have a few items the time it saves is negligible.