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Slightly misleading title. They're closing 8 of their stores across NYC, SF, etc, and this is after they just opened a few more across the US.
Which is just business as usual, figuring out which stores in which locations turn out to be most profitable.
When asked why Amazon has decided to shutter the eight stores in Seattle, New York City and San Francisco, the spokesperson said that like with any retailer, Amazon periodically assesses its portfolio of stores and makes optimization decisions along the way.
Theft
I shopped at their location at 30 rock. It was a mixed bag feeling. I was in awe of the technology, but at the same time I felt like I was being overly observed like in a prison.. I never went back, even though I work in the building.
This has been the case for decades. It's how they catch shoplifters.
I rather like the fact it can be used for customer convenience now, rather than just punitively.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the midwest we have a giant store called Woodman's that just does low-tech self-checkout lanes and 24-hour stores... Self-checkout is just you doing the scanning and paying yourself... Aside from a high-precision scale and one worker for all of the self-checkout lanes (to assist in errors), it's more or less honor system that just works for the most part.
My mother-in-law operates the self-checkout lanes at a Kroger brand store in the midwest. The honor system definitely does not work there. Shoplifting is through the roof over the past couple years. It's gotten so bad that management is debating shutting off the self-checkout lanes. A few months ago she was pepper sprayed after confronting a shoplifter who had an entire cart of things, but only scanned and paid for 3…
My point is that anywhere that unmanned stores with cameras can work, so would self-checkout.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the midwest we have a giant store called Woodman's that just does low-tech self-checkout lanes and 24-hour stores... Self-checkout is just you doing the scanning and paying yourself... Aside from a high-precision scale and one worker for all of the self-checkout lanes (to assist in errors), it's more or less honor system that just works for the most part.
My mother-in-law operates the self-checkout lanes at a Kroger brand store in the midwest. The honor system definitely does not work there. Shoplifting is through the roof over the past couple years. It's gotten so bad that management is debating shutting off the self-checkout lanes. A few months ago she was pepper sprayed after confronting a shoplifter who had an entire cart of things, but only scanned and paid for 3…
That seems intolerably high but I’ve never worked a day in a grocery store. Do grocery stores generate enough revenue to sustain? Fifty two-hundred dollar carts of cash is a lot to let go.
Likely relevant, NYC passed a law 3 years ago requiring stores to accept cash https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/23/nyregion/nyc-cashless-ban...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the midwest we have a giant store called Woodman's that just does low-tech self-checkout lanes and 24-hour stores... Self-checkout is just you doing the scanning and paying yourself... Aside from a high-precision scale and one worker for all of the self-checkout lanes (to assist in errors), it's more or less honor system that just works for the most part.
My mother-in-law operates the self-checkout lanes at a Kroger brand store in the midwest. The honor system definitely does not work there. Shoplifting is through the roof over the past couple years. It's gotten so bad that management is debating shutting off the self-checkout lanes. A few months ago she was pepper sprayed after confronting a shoplifter who had an entire cart of things, but only scanned and paid for 3…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I never went into one of those stores, but I'm down in Florida, and my apartment building has what they call a "sundry shop". It's connected to the main office but it's 24 hours - you get in with an electronic key. It's like a little convenience store, like a corner store in NYC. But the checkout is self-service, and there's a camera. It's amazing, I love it.
My grandparents used to live in a small village (rural U.K.). The village shop was tiny, just a few shelves and a fridge with basics. No checkout, no cameras, often no volunteer (definitely no paid staff). They just wrote down what they took in a little book and paid at the end of the month. In small enough groups where there is a good sense of community it’s amazing what can work.
The woman on the turnstile wouldn't let me in even when I explained the situation. So she went off and got a scanner to take my package. She didn't offer a receipt, and when I asked for one said it wasn't possible to give me one. I checked my email, and nothing there either. So I had no evidence I'd actually returned my item and she just said something like "It's in the system and never makes a mistake" or some similar rubbish.
While I was in there I saw several people walk just inside, faff around on their phones for 5 minutes then either give up or eventually get past the turnstiles. There's literally no benefit for customers unless you're shopping at busy times.
So all in all an unmitigated disaster.