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The failure of self-checkout technology

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Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#231

Post by itronitron »

kugelblitz wrote: post #117
ourmandave wrote: post #94

I'm so used to self checkout, last time I used a manned checkout I started bagging my stuff by habit. (Only used it because I bought an electronic with a security hockey puck that had to be unlocked.)

In Germany you always bag everything yourself and in the discount stores you have 1.4 seconds per item to pack stuff while the cashier is sliding stuff towards an area of maybe 60cm x 100cm (2 feet by 3 feet) where if you bag it too slow you'll hold up the line and people will look at you.

This is why you should pay cash, folded in half, and in awkward denominations as it can give you those few extra seconds to finish bagging while the cashier puts the bills away and gathers the change :)

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#232

Post by unnamed76ri »

jareklupinski wrote: post #150
devilbunny wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure that's great, but it's a bit impractical for groceries. Even the relatively small cost of an NFC tag is going to be a real problem given how thin most groceries' margins are (and how cheap small amounts of food can be, even now). But groceries are one of the best examples of where this would be a big time-saver. I will say that I really do prefer self-check in convenience stores, where a big purchase is thre…

> Even the relatively small cost of an NFC tag is going to be a real problem given how thin most groceries' margins are (and how cheap small amounts of food can be, even now). something that's been worrying me: how long until grocery stores stop keeping fresh fruit and vegetables because it just isn't worth it anymore? or has produce always been a loss-leader to get people buying other things in the store... maybe ju…

Supermarkets have put a lot into adding more organic options and just greater variety in general in their produce sections. I don’t think they lose money or that they are going anywhere.

Bananas for example sell for around $0.58/lb around here. Which seems unprofitable but you wouldn’t believe the size of the banana rooms that these grocers have at their warehouses. It is easily the largest space dedicated to a single sku in the warehouse.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#233

Post by workfromspace »

g-b-r wrote: post #182
workfromspace wrote: post #152

Obviously this sounds like such a US problem. Self checkout in the UK and Europe (Estonia and Barcelona) IME works perfectly: - No thefts - Many people with card payments - Working self checkout machines Also, recently I have been thinking how come the US is pioneering so many tech but fail to implement any, such as: - Payments: No SWIFT/IBAN, still lots of cash usage, no e-invoices (ie for utility bills), still usin…

You're generalizing a bit too much saying "Europe"

You're right. But I've seen almost every country in Europe continent and lived in few of them, including non-EU (including WB-6, EFTA, UK), so I thought I could generalize Europe a bit to my experience.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#234

Post by KronisLV »

In the stores here in Latvia, I've had reasonably positive experiences with self-checkout.

I can pack stuff in my bags with no rush (there's usually no line for self-checkout, since not everyone uses it), just scan the bar codes for products that have them and pick from a menu/search for those that don't (e.g. freshly baked goods in paper bags). Then, I can pay with my card, or sometimes have to verify my ID with the shop attendant when buying something like energy drink.

Smaller stores probably won't have self-checkout any time soon and some stores like Lidl don't seem to have it either (the prices there are nice, but bagging your products always seems so rushed), but where it's available, it works pretty well (like Rimi, Maxima).

I really appreciate it being optional, though, as well as having the more traditional option with shop attendants and the small conveyor thing.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#235

Post by namdnay »

Aeolun wrote: post #217

My problem with self-checkout (in the Netherlands) is not the interface or the system itself. I can navigate that. But then when I've finished checking out and bagging everything myself, the guy from the store came to do the whole thing again! I just stood there in utter disbelief as they rummaged through my neatly packed bag to mess everything up, scan only a handful of items, and then present me a bill that's sever…

that's a random fraud check, it's usually about 10-20% of the time?

i'm surprised by the bill though, are you sure it wasn't due to discounts or something? usually they just scan 5-10 items (and will try to scan the most expensive ones)

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#236

Post by thanatos519 »

Aeolun wrote: post #217

My problem with self-checkout (in the Netherlands) is not the interface or the system itself. I can navigate that. But then when I've finished checking out and bagging everything myself, the guy from the store came to do the whole thing again! I just stood there in utter disbelief as they rummaged through my neatly packed bag to mess everything up, scan only a handful of items, and then present me a bill that's sever…

Also in the Netherlands. These random audits are annoying indeed, especially when I have a lot of very carefully packed items.

However, they don't happen to me too often, and it's as common with 3 items as with 30 so I think it's truly random. It seems like about the right frequency to catch thieves.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#237

Post by em500 »

Aeolun wrote: post #217

My problem with self-checkout (in the Netherlands) is not the interface or the system itself. I can navigate that. But then when I've finished checking out and bagging everything myself, the guy from the store came to do the whole thing again! I just stood there in utter disbelief as they rummaged through my neatly packed bag to mess everything up, scan only a handful of items, and then present me a bill that's sever…

They do random spot checks (and do not scan each item in your bag) for the same reason that ticket inspectors do random checks in public transport: there is probably some optimum between checking each and every item/person/train (which is very costly) and never check anything at all (at which point a significant number of people might consider payments to be entirely optional).

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#238

Post by scme0 »

shric wrote: post #216
Gigachad wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems that in general, the US lags behind in retail technology. In Australia, close to all supermarkets are majority if not entirely self checkout. Even a lot of retail brands like hardware stores and clothing stores are self checkout. The ones like Uniqlo where you just drop the items in and it instantly scans them all are incredibly nice to use.

The ones in Australia aren't perfect though. I use Coles and Woolworths mostly in the Sydney CBD: - bad touch screens that lag. - even more lag when you're trying to pay. - frequent (about 60% of visits) requirement for staff because it disagrees that I've put something in the bagging area, or some other reason - unnecessary and slow modal dialogs about rewards programmes, receipt etc. I wish there was just a "leave…

My wife and I have found that the self checkouts at Coles that have the conveyor belt (like the manned checkout lanes) are the best as they don't have a scale so you can scan stuff fast and it won't make you wait for it to check the weight for each item. The smaller self checkouts are horrible though. Only ok if you're just grabbing a few items.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#239

Post by notTooFarGone »

KronisLV wrote: post #234

In the stores here in Latvia, I've had reasonably positive experiences with self-checkout. I can pack stuff in my bags with no rush (there's usually no line for self-checkout, since not everyone uses it), just scan the bar codes for products that have them and pick from a menu/search for those that don't (e.g. freshly baked goods in paper bags). Then, I can pay with my card, or sometimes have to verify my ID with the…

In Germany there are a few Lidl's with self checkout now. But haven't seen an Aldi doing it.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#240

Post by thanatos519 »

mrbadguy wrote: post #79

I think the self-checkout suffers from a fairly common fact: it doesn’t actually save any labour, just now the customer does the scanning instead of an employee. Of course, the argument goes that you can have more of them as opposed to staffed tills but that doesn’t actually seem to be working out as per TFA since they’re expensive to install. One thing that I have seen actually adding value is where there’s a scanne…

I end up with better-packed bags at scan-at-the-end self-checkout than with scan-as-you-go or clerk-and-conveyor.

I wander around putting things in the cart, and then at self-checkout I sort and balance it all into bags. If I was scanning as I went, I couldn't carry everything. If I put it on a conveyor belt for staff to scan, then I don't have time to sort or balance when repacking.

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