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The failure of self-checkout technology

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Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#311

Post by bombcar »

goosedragons wrote: post #267
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…

It's 100% that. One of the grocery stores near me has no weight checks or baggage area rules. I can easily bag my groceries into my backpack directly, at other stores my backpack is too heavy to be considered my bag and so if I want to do that the attendent has to override it so I never bother. Then since there's no weight check you never run into the "unexpected item in bagging area" or "please place item in bagging…

It’s strange here. The Walmart is tuned quite lax, very forgiving.

The local grocery store screams for an attendant if a fruit fly farts on the scale.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#312

Post by julian_t »

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…

Yes, some shops are, and I lost count of the times when me, carrying a basket with a few items, was behind several other shoppers with huge trollies full to the brim. Pick a busy time and all the lanes are held up like this. Now we have self-checkouts for baskets only, and life works much better.

They still to have someone around, though, to satisfy the machine when it thinks that my newspaper is 25g too light, or I'm not old enough to buy alcohol-free beer (still haven't worked out the rationale for that one)

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#313

Post by bombcar »

Freak_NL wrote: post #268
alpaca128 wrote: post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

The point is cost savings for the supermarket. That's it. Some customer prefer them, but usually that is the effect of deliberately understaffing the remaining cash registers, or the customer being completely unable or unwilling to interact with strangers. Supermarkets are now grudgingly admitting that self checkout systems cause a significant increase in loss due to theft, but that it is still cheaper than hiring ac…

I wonder how much theft would be mitigated if you implemented a quasi-random “free item” feature - tune it so there’s a chance the last item you scanned rings up free. Tune it to be a 2-5% discount at most, similar to coupons. Make the customer feel they won something.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#314

Post by Buttons840 »

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…

Sam's Club in my location is like this. Their self-checkouts are a computer screen with a mobile scan gun. You pick up the scan gun and scan all the items in your cart however you want. Then you pay, then someone checks 2 or 3 items randomly on the way out to ensure they are on the receipt.

People are saying the same can be done with an app, but I don't want to install another app.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#315

Post by chasd00 »

I’ve see this story floating around and it certainly doesn’t apply to my area. The self checkout at my local grocery store is very popular. When you’ve done it once or twice and get the hang of it it’s easy to go fast even with items like fruits/vegetables where you have to enter a code and weigh for the price. When I’m buying alcohol that requires age verification I make eye contact with the cashier covering the self checkout stations when I walk up, they are already on their way over when I scan. It takes the smallest amount of effort to learn and then it’s fine, I love self checkout.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#316

Post by bombcar »

slfnflctd wrote: post #258
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…

> scan the same product multiple times if you were buying multiple copies of it My local Walmart allows this. Not sure what the impact on their 'shrink' is, but they must've decided it was worth it to keep lines moving. It's a very busy store.

It seems to be a setting the manager can choose to change. Some Walmarts near me basically seem to have the scale off (a ten pound unexpected item doesn’t even phase it) and others seem tuned quite narrow.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they could change it based on time of day. And changing it based on rewards card or loyalty would also seem to be possible.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#317

Post by HPsquared »

DanielHB wrote: post #307
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. Especially if you could do things like scan the same product multiple times if you were buying multiple copies of it. The supermarkets in Sweden work like this, the only thing some of they do is random checks. In some chains you do need t…

The big supermarkets in the UK have a "scan as you shop" system. There is a portable scanner you take along with the trolley and scan each item as you put it in the trolley (directly into a bag - avoiding the bagging step).

You then just go to the self-checkout and pay for what you scanned.

They do spot checks at the checkout, especially for "new" customers. It's tied to your identity (need to scan a store card to unlock the scanner).

I think it's a timesaver... even though it takes a bit of time to scan each item with the portable scanner, you get to skip the "unload from trolley -> scan -> load into bags" at the checkout.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#318

Post by bombcar »

didntcheck wrote: post #102
hackan wrote: post #92

I love self-checkout, honestly. Machines need to improve, but still. There's a store here where u simply DROP all items in the self-checkout basket, and it automatically computes everything! I suspect it uses NFC or similar, but it works, and its wonderful, simply drop everything in! And wait, there's more: did I say drop everything in? I meant, the bag you are using to hold everything? just put it in that basket, in…

I've used a few libraries that work like that, probably going back 10 or more years now. I was a little incredulous the first time - "You mean I really just plonk down a pile of books and press 'loan'? No individually placing each one spine-first in a tag-deactivator?" I guess until recently it was only practical to implement with tags that were going to be reused, but is now feasible with disposable ones

Our library has self checkout and no anti-theft, but it still uses barcodes.

No doubt if they were rolling out a system today they’d use RFID instead, but the absolute massive inertia from millions of barcodes books throughout the system must be huge.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#319

Post by HPsquared »

bombcar wrote: post #308
valzam wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never understood the point of theft prevention at a self-checkout via the weight checks etc. If I want to steal something I just ... don't scan it? And keep it in my backpack. I don't see how the buggy weight checks serve any purpose other than annoying honest customers.

It’s a security feature sold to the stores against a possible but rare attack - barcode swapping. It even occurs with human checkers but it’s quite rare (barcodes are fixed now, or the stickers destroy themselves if you try to remove them like at Goodwill). The attack apparently would have you swap a barcode but still on camera scan it which I guess theoretically makes it harder to prosecute but I kinda doubt it. It…

It can also help the customer - it stops you scanning twice (and paying twice) for a single item.

Re: The failure of self-checkout technology

#320

Post by bombcar »

delta_p_delta_x wrote: post #208
Mochsner wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You ever shopped at kroger? Their produce selection is so bad and/or rotten that I don't even want to buy produce when I shop there. They don't even care and I think use it to drive buying more predictable goods (like canned). Their subsidiary Pick N Save in the midwest was similar, but not near as bad as Kroger in the south. We buy produce from the cheaper Aldi instead, or worst case, the overpriced Publix (if Aldi…

> We buy produce from the cheaper Aldi instead Funnily enough, in the UK, Aldi produce is generally very fresh and still cheap. There's plenty of turnover, precisely because people shop at Aldi so much.

That’s really the key I’ve found - fresh deliveries of produce are about the same everywhere; what matters is how fast the turnover is. And it varies by area which store is “the good one”.
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