'It hasn't delivered': The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology

When self-checkouts were first rolled out, my friends and I loved them.

As twenty-something introverted nerds, it helped a lot when buying "embarrassing" things like condoms.

You didn't have to have the checkout person giving you the stink-eye because they're ultra religious or something.

Now, twenty-some years on, they've been abused to the point that some places they're all that's ever open, Target and Walmart seem to be the biggest offenders there. When there's a line down three different aisles because the self-checked is so backed up, it's defeated the purpose of creating "efficiency."

However, I've noticed that about a lot of business practices lately. We've rounded the bend and they're still doing things that aren't actually producing efficiency anymore. Like staffing with nothing but a skeleton crew, so anytime someone calls out sick, everything falls apart because you're short a person. Personal opinion, but if one person missing work wrecks everything, that's not an efficient way to schedule people.

It's proof that these MBA business school chucklefucks are just repeating the shit they tell each other ad nauseum, because when it comes to real-world results the results are abysmal and inefficient.

My supermarket implemented these barcode scanner you can carry in the store so that you can scan and put your stuff in your grocery bags in your cart as you go, as well as some scales so that you can also scan those items paid by weight, which you can then scan at the self-checkout terminal. They also spot-check every 4th scanners and scan for random items in the cart to make sure you actually added them to your list as a theft-deterrent.

It's way faster and less finicky than dealing with the scale that checks if you added the item you just scanned (and complains often that something's wrong).

I hope this kind of system will stay, it's really nice going to a self-checkout terminal and pay with your bags already filled.

Is there something weird about how your Home Depot did it? I absolutely love the self-checkout at the Home Depots in my state. They all have the wireless hand scanners so I just pull my cart up, beep beep beep beep beep beep beep and off I go I fucking hated before they had self checkout at Home Depots it always took for fucking ever now I'm in and out regardless of whether I need one thing or 20 things

There are stores trialling exactly your preferred method. One of my local supermarket chains has portable barcode scanners on a wall. You pick one up, scan your groceries as you collect them, then take the scanner to a self checkout that links to the scanner. At that point you pay for your items and leave.

That system has been a thing for at least a decade in most supermarkets in Sweden, is it not a thing in (I assume) the US?

small talk? If you start small talk in Germany, the cashier will probably be confused...

Scan and Go is becoming very wide spread in Denmark. It's lovely! Cuts down the time for a quick shopping trip on the way home from work to less than half

You can do scan and go at Walmart now, if you were previously only using that at Sam's Club. It's fantastic.

What you're requesting is exactly how Amazon fresh works. the cart itself has barcode scanners on it

Is self scan that rare around you? One of our (Latvia) two big brand supermarkets have scanners you carry around, then deposit at the slef checkout lines. The other one, however, I just scan everything with my phone, then at checkout scan a QR code with my phone and pay.

Here in Finland handheld scanners have been getting added to more shops, you grab one, scan and bag as you go, and at the end you return the scanner and pay it all at once.

To be fair, anything that allows a Swiss person to avoid small talk will be overwhelming popular.

Can confirm. The only deterrent is the potential for an random bag check by an employee but that never happened to me in years of using self checkout. Some shops have a worker over watching a dozen of stations to help out or just identify suspicious behavior but it's very unintrusive.

Not only that, but the reduced shrink during Covid, tucked up to "normal" levels.. but this was then presented as a 100pct increase compared to last year.. and thus a huuuge increase.

It's faster until you need the human operator to keep coming over because the anti-theft sensors keep getting tripped up by false positive readings. Or you need to find some vegetable code that a normal cashier has memorized.

Self checkout is great when it's done well, and total shit when poorly executed. And unfortunately, it's not always just a matter of technology (which normally keeps improving); it's often a matter of business model: sometimes customer convenience is really important, other times loss prevention (which creates frustration) is more important.

I've seen countless good self-checkout experiences backslide into crap experience because the business felt that a controlled client is more profitable than a convenienced client.

At my grocery store the line for self checkout is longer than for the registers, so people would very much be waiting for you. And instead of the time the cashier takes to scan all your stuff being out of your control, they'll judge you personally for being slow instead.

Or just RFID chip all the food items and I just walk out of the store and it charges me later based on what I walked out with. If no account exists automatic deployment of security personnel to catch the thief.

I feel the people who don't like self checkout keep trying to push the idea that it's bad or putting people out of jobs, rather than just admitting it's convenient for most people. If i want to buy one or two items I don't want to queue up behind 5 people with a full trolley.

Having express self-checkoit is great. The Kroger near me went full-self-checkout. They have large kiosks that mimmic the traditional checkout belt kiosks, except the customer scans at the head of the belt and the items move into the bagging area.

If you have a full cart, you scan all the items, checkout, walk to the end of the belt, and bag all of your items. Takes twice as long as bagging while a cashier scans (for solo shoppers), and because of the automatic belt the next customer cannot start scanning until you finish bagging, or their items will join the pile of your items.

It effectively destroys all parallelism is the process (bagging while scanning, customers pre-loading their items with a divider while the prior customer is still being serviced), and with zero human operated checkouts running you get no choice

My only critique of self checkout is, when the machine has an error, or if I'm buying alcohol, I have to wait 5 minutes for someone to come fix the problem because there's 10 self checkout kiosks, but only one employee tending them.

The machines had problems like 10 years ago, but I've had zero problems with them in recent years. Used to be a few of them were always broken and bulk items were hard to find, but now I've not run into any problems. They're great for small purchases, but they're too cramped for big purchases so the belts are still needed.

I see you've never had to use Kroger self checkouts. It's almost like they're purpose built to slow you down.

I use them but don't like them. Putting people out of work should not be the goal. I mean it's like the manufactured this only have one or two tills open at a time. Then bring in self checkouts to fix the issue the problem. They could have had more cashiers in the first place.

they back it up with companies rellying heavily on self chekout losing more money

Oh shit, I just started going to Aldi and sounds like I am one of the idiots doing it wrong. The store I am going to seems to be setup same as a typical SCO though. I don't know that I have noticed a bagging counter. Will be looking next trip I guess.

I think I used self checkout once in my life. I very quickly realized that they're pushing their work onto me and never went to self checkout again.

I also think those jobs matter. Not great jobs, sure. But they are jobs. I'm sure tech will eliminate cashier jobs someday but I don't see self checkout doing so.

I know entirely too many people who don't use the hand scanner, and it's crazy to me. It is by far the most efficient way to shop. I get irrationally angry when there are people in the self checkout line with a whole cart of groceries. This line is not for you. Get with the times.

It is 100% implementation. In other countries there's either a staff member watching over all the self checkouts to make everything go smoothly, or a kind of electronic gate that only let's you leave after scanning a receipt. Usually the scanners are much more reliable and theres a usable UI. Plus a modicum of trust. Also thise hand scanners you can carry around the shop so you don't have to do it at the end (although I think if seen some of them around now).

In the UK there's usually the weight detection mechanic that slows things down 10x and no interactivity with the machine other than it loudly telling you you're doing it wrong. You often need to ask for help anyway.

If it was a quick and easy experience the scheme wouldn't fail.

If they cannot apply best before rebates then the store needs to change the system of applying them. One of our local chains uses orange stickers with new barcodes for best before discounts so the self checkout scans and accepts the new barcode with a lower price.

If you are talking about Germany, yes. I recently (3 years) moved to Germany and I love the tech. I can avoid having contact with the rude people that usually work at the tills.

Ok now I am curious where you live that you have to provide ID to shop. Here in the US we scan the items and then swipe our payment card, the ID is only used to check your age for tobacco and alcohol purchases which can’t be sold to minors. An employee has to come look at the ID to make sure a minor hasn’t borrowed someone else’s, so it doesn’t even get scanned. Employees just swipe their work badge and confirm that they checked your age.

As for the pain, a lot of self checkout systems have very limited space and can be awkward to run all your items through. Manned stations have the conveyor so you can unload multiple items from your cart at a time to be scanned. They also have more end space so you can have room to bag everything if you are doing a big shopping trip.

Wait, you don't have to scan every item at the checkout?

Not for me. Take in consideration that I don't do a lot of shopping. Two of the maybe four times times I used a self check-out last year;

1. So I go to the self check-out. One of my items is on clearance. I scan it. It shows full price. turns out I needed to scan a different bar-code for the clearance. However, I can't remove the already scanned bar-code from the list, so now I need to call assistance.
2. My kids drink a lot of coke zero, so when it goes on sale I usually buy a lot of it. In this case, I took all that's left in the store. I scan one bottle, do a quick count and adjust the number of bottles accordingly. I place the bottle in my cart and realize I've counted one too many. I can't take it off, and now need to call assistance.

Are you Dutch? I recall an old NJB video describing how Dutch supermarkets worked like this. (Plus, Martin is a name I associate with the Netherlands…)

But no. Most often, you put stuff in your trolley or basket, then when you get to the checkout, you scan the things and bag them yourself one-by-one, then pay.

Here in Australia, one of our two main supermarket chains in the last 2 years rolled out something similar to what the Netherlands has had for at least half a decade. You use their app on your phone and scan things with the app as you go, before paying through the app and scanning a QR code at the exit.

The other main chain, and the two main smaller chains, have made no moves to follow, so you're stuck with a long line for a small number of open checkouts, or the self-checkout where you have to scan everything after you get to the checkout.

I bet it depends heavily on what stores you frequent and where. Also which country ofc. In from the Netherlands and have similar experience, some stores even have portable DIY scanners.. so I scan while I shop and just hand in the scanner and pay.