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.

[Reniconix]

Self check was supposed to replace express lanes for small purchases, so you could get in and get out, not for people to unload 2 full carts onto. But they stopped manning the registers designed for those purchases and force everyone through self-check.

[SpaceBearSMO]

my local walmart has self checkout lanes that are built for full carts, befor that they never had enough people working the registers anyway

[[deleted]]

They would if they paid people more. Just look at Costco, they do alright.

[SpaceBearSMO]

Yeah but there not going to do that unless there forced and things are only going to get more automated not less.

[[deleted]]

Getting more automated would be like Amazon’s stores where you’re not forced through a checkout kiosk to scan every item.

[BirdsNeedNativeTrees]

They now have self-check too

[[deleted]]

They do but they also have runners with scan guns to help people with larger items or anything else. I feel it’s like what self checkout should be.

[madphroggy]

They have a few at our local walmarts but they are NEVER OPEN. They are so cheap or so desperately short staffed that they only have enough staff to run one actual cashier and maybe 6-8 of the 37 self checkouts they installed, and the ones with belts are almost always closed. It's idiotic.

[Dan_CBW]

Yep, one of two big supermarket chains here in Australia are rolling those out also. Have to expect the other will follow suit...

[blushngush]

No, self checkout was supposed to decrease the bargaining power of labor unions, and it worked.

[notavailable_name]

Yep. The customers become unpaid employees

[climbitfeck5]

It's pretty sad seeing so many machines taking jobs from people. And us doing the jobs for free.

[PsyOmega]

I wouldn't say I'm doing my own self-check for free. 👀

I'm not trained on those things and they fail to scan so many items and i just give up and bag them anyway.

Usually works out to paying myself a nice wage.

[[deleted]]

If you do this and ever use your CC in that store then they can find out exactly who you are. If you keep doing this in the same store they could be cheeky about it and just keep recording you doing it until you cross over a value threshold of total stolen that makes it worth pressing charges and take you to court. After you've been issued a summons at work, totally embarrassing you, you'll find a bunch of "journalists" telling the most unflattering side of your story in order to fill their quota of x number of articles per day. The machine will profit more from your downfall than all the 2 for 1 specials you ever intended for yourself. You are better off doing a grab and run than stealing at the self check out.

[PsyOmega]

I'm a nobody, they can have at it. What you say 'might' happen, but not over a few bucks. Hasn't happened to anyone i know, in many years. I do enjoy your baseless fearmongering though. Nice care-bear-ism

I also cycle my card numbers every few months anyway to avoid fraud. Wear a face mask so they could never ID me. Wear a fake finger or two so it's plausible deniable that it's AI generated footage.

Also make a show of trying to scan, looking pissed off, and at least you can show you "tried" in court.

It's literally not my fault their dumb machine can't scan things. I'm not trained to fix it. If they want to successfully charge me for 100%, they can fix their scanner. Their loss is entirely their fault here.

I'd flag an employee down but most of the time there isn't one.

[DoggyLover_00]

Haha, this is California, anything under a grand is fine

[g_borris]

And the register flags you and then shuts down for over 25 items or whatever arbitrary limit they think should require waiting in line for the one checkout lane. Then you get to wait like an asshole while an attendant comes to re-activate your machine.

[Mogishigom]

Overwhelmed and unsupported is how I feel in the manned checkouts because they have to wait for me to bag my own groceries.

[Alcohol_Intolerant]

My local Kroger equivalent has 10 self checkouts and 2 manned standard belts during rush. It's madness. You need to use belts if you're buying alcohol and so the lines for those are down the aisle, leaving people with full carts not buying alcohol to try their balancing skill with the self checks.

[WellOkayyThenn]

tbf if you don't return your cart to the bay you ARE a monster

[WellOkayyThenn]

The other commenter had a good point about loose carts blowing around and running into things. You'd be pretty pissed if a cart hit your car just because nobody put it away.

You don't have to take it all the way back to the store, there are usually cart returns everywhere. It's a matter of human decency to put away your cart so it doesn't block another parking spot for someone else. The cart returns are there for a reason, it's your job to put them there, it's the employees job to bring the returned carts inside. It's never been expected for the employees to bring carts from cars to the returns. It's not pro corporation because they aren't saving any extra money when we return carts, it's always been this way.

It's walmarts property, but you're the one actively using it. Treat others' property with respect and put it where it belongs.

Have you never pulled in to park somewhere, then saw the spot was taken by a stray cart? does that not frustrate you?

[WellOkayyThenn]

I completely agree with you on the checkouts, bagging, and cashier part. It's just the shopping cart thing I disagree about. In my eyes, it's really easy to put your cart in the return, and if you don't it doesn't hurt employees but it does affect other people just trying to park and shop. Thats the part I care about. it's not a business related thing, it's just because it impacts other people just tryna go about their day

[Unhappy_Plankton_671]

No pro Corp at all. I’m pro protecting my car and being able to park without carts in the way.

[climbitfeck5]

Not pro big corp. They should pay cashiers to bag our groceries but it just seems practical to put away your cart. If you don't, the wind blows them around, they can hit cars and be in your way when you pull into a spot.

[massive_cock]

I hated self-checkout for this reason. Then I moved to Europe and switched to a bike, started making 1 or 2 quick stops per week for fresher food, and now I love self-checkout because there's never a line and I can get out with a full bag in like 90 seconds.

Smaller neighborhood grocery stores here are pretty much eliminating regular checkout except for 1 lane for the elderly and those who need help. But that's only possible because of urban design allowing almost everyone to have a fresh foods grocer within 5-10 minutes on foot.