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The failure of self-checkout technology

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Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#271

Post by dreamcompiler »

alpaca128 wrote: post #260
CM30 wrote: post #248

It feels like almost all the issues with self-checkout technology come from the attempts to minimise shoplifting, which don't even seem that effective at doing that. In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient. Especially if you could do things like scan the same product multiple time…

> In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient How would it be more efficient than a traditional checkout? There's no way the average person can match the speed of a cashier who does that every day, and at least the supermarkets I've visited don't have enough self checkout machines to…

It's about the cost of the checkout staff, not speed. Stores were told that if they bought 4 self-checkout kiosks they could eliminate 3 checkout staff (keeping 1 to monitor 4 kiosks).

What the vendors didn't say was that shrinkage would increase.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#272

Post by KptMarchewa »

notTooFarGone wrote: post #239
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.

All Lidls in Poland already have self checkout, and it's one of the best implementations I've seen, as expected from Lidl.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#273

Post by framapotari »

scott_w wrote: post #223
arsenico wrote: post #222

I prefer self-checkout and use it pretty much every time I see an opportunity to do so. Living in the Netherlands, somehow self-checkout in Dutch supermarkets is very different from the ones I encounter in France or UK. Every time in France or UK I have issues with it primarily because the self-checkout tills have a very cumbersome and poorly working area where I have to put the checked products. Either they're doing…

Interestingly, Marks & Spencer don't have scales for your shopping (unlike all other self-checkouts). I wonder if there's cultural and demographic reasons for this. M&S is a very upmarket supermarket, so a potential thief (typically quite poor) is going to stand out like a sore thumb and end up with a security guard stuck to their waist. The larger supermarket chains (Tesco, Asda, Morrisons) have low-cost lines to ca…

How would you identify a shoplifter at M&S based on their socioeconomic dress code?

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#274

Post by Drakim »

alpaca128 wrote: post #260
CM30 wrote: post #248

It feels like almost all the issues with self-checkout technology come from the attempts to minimise shoplifting, which don't even seem that effective at doing that. In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient. Especially if you could do things like scan the same product multiple time…

> In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient How would it be more efficient than a traditional checkout? There's no way the average person can match the speed of a cashier who does that every day, and at least the supermarkets I've visited don't have enough self checkout machines to…

At my local store there is 1 cashier with one of those conveyor belts machines, and 6 self-checkout machines. The cashier and the conveyor belt machine takes up about room as 3 of the self-checkout machines, and operates at about the same speed as one of the self-checkout machines. Plus obviously it's more expensive as you need to pay the wages of the person standing there just to grab your food and bring it to the infrared scanner one by one.

So my experience is the polar opposite of yours, self-checkout is just superior.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#275

Post by Freak_NL »

dahfizz wrote: post #266
radarsat1 wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's exactly how it works in the Netherlands, you just scan your items and go. There are no weight checks and you can scan items more than once and edit and remove things from the list. Apart from getting a poorly executed random check sometimes (which is far from effective for the purpose of avoiding theft imho) it actually works really well.

Enjoy your homogenous, high trust society. We are all jealous.

Nah, don't worry. Theft at self checkouts is turning into a national hobby¹.

1: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/01/05/de-diefstalcijfers-stij...

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#276

Post by CM30 »

ddmf wrote: post #253
CM30 wrote: post #248

It feels like almost all the issues with self-checkout technology come from the attempts to minimise shoplifting, which don't even seem that effective at doing that. In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient. Especially if you could do things like scan the same product multiple time…

Yes, exactly my thoughts - and they seem to use lower spec hardware leading to a perceivable delay between scanning -> putting on to weighing station -> able to scan next product. Unless this is as designed too, for whatever reason, but this is what stops me from using them as I get frustrated. The other thing that stops me from using them specifically in Lidl is that you cannot put a hazelnut croissant and an almond…

That's another good point. Self checkout machines are likely designed with lower specs in mind due to shops needing to either needing to have more of them (since there are often only 1 or 2 regular checkouts compared to 10+ self checkouts) or because they feel the expense of a better touch screen/recognition system is better justified if it's for a system the staff are using rather than the general public.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#278

Post by cameronh90 »

rlkf wrote: post #65

In Norway, the trend is that shops that have a mix of both, now remove more and more of the cashiers and increase the number of self-checkouts. This wouldn't happen if the shops lost money and the customers hated it, so it's strange that this is the opposite of the U.K. Population more tuned to automation, perhaps?

As a UK resident, I honestly find the article a bit incredulous. The article doesn't justify its claim of it being a "spectacular" failure and all the examples are from the US. In the UK, despite their problems, increasingly more self-checkout systems are being installed, even in shops that previously avoided them like Lidl and Aldi. There is one high-profile case of them being removed in a minor chain (Booths), but aside from that, most shops are continuing to install them.

You do get people complaining about them on Twitter/Facebook/Nextdoor - mostly old people - but in reality, I find people usually prefer to use the self-checkout. Even if they can be a pain sometimes.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#279

Post by rascul »

alpaca128 wrote: post #260
CM30 wrote: post #248

It feels like almost all the issues with self-checkout technology come from the attempts to minimise shoplifting, which don't even seem that effective at doing that. In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient. Especially if you could do things like scan the same product multiple time…

> In theory, a system that let you scan products the same way checkout staff do without any weight checks or bagging area rules or other interruptions would be incredibly efficient How would it be more efficient than a traditional checkout? There's no way the average person can match the speed of a cashier who does that every day, and at least the supermarkets I've visited don't have enough self checkout machines to…

> There's no way the average person can match the speed of a cashier who does that every day

Most of the time I use self checkout at the grocery store but when I don't the human takes longer than me, sometimes wants to have an annoying conversation, doesn't group things in bags, and uses way too many bags. Quicker and easier to just do it myself.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#280

Post by Freak_NL »

radarsat1 wrote: post #257
thanatos519 wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

The main problem with the way they do the check is that it isn't going to catch any theft. They make you unpack your bag and they start asking for items to scan. They literally let you choose which ones they scan. And they want to scan like 10 items lately so it really makes you unpack the whole thing which is annoying. But never have I had them actually trying to find an item in my bag that is not something I declar…

That teenager also doesn't want to deal with someone caught stealing. That's a bother that is way above their pay grade, with only downsides for them even if everything is handled with a minimum of fuss.
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