self serve checkouts

[fryingpan]

Self Serve Checkout

Here is an interesting article on self serve checkouts in grocery stores.

According to a study of shopping habits, 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed are more likely to shop at stores with self-service than those without. In a September 2004 study by Ipsos Reid, a similarly worded question found that only 27 per cent would be more likely to shop at store with self-checkout.

In the latest survey, sponsored by NCR Corp. (which makes self-service solutions), 89 per cent said they shop between one and seven times a week, and most often their trips are for 10 or fewer items. More than half (52 per cent) of shoppers said they feel frustrated waiting in line to check out their purchases. Respondents also revealed they spend an average of 8.4 minutes lining up at the checkout, and that they wait almost half-an-hour, on average, in stores either trying to get information or ordering something.

"In today's 'always-on' world, consumers want more control, choice and convenience in their daily lives. They are no longer willing to wait in line or tolerate poor service, and are demanding the ability to serve themselves when, how and where they want," said Patrick Leonard, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division in Canada. "Self-service shopping has a universal appeal that transcends factors like age, gender, ethnicity and economic strata."

When queried as to which self-service technologies they would be most likely to use, 44 percent said they would use self-checkout to scan, bag and pay for their items. The study also found that many Canadians said there are other ways in which self-service technologies can make shopping more convenient. A majority pointed to the ability to "check prices yourself in the store" (62 per cent) while a good proportion said being able "to pay and collect a pre-ordered delivery" (30 per cent).

"Self-service can help retailers better manage staff, especially during peak times. With self-checkout, store personnel can be redirected onto the floor to provide more product information, sales assistance and shelf restocking -- tasks that help contribute to improved levels of customer satisfaction," said Leonard.

What I'm really interested in is what the "living wage" advocates think of this. If people start using these on a regular basis, will businesses still need the same amount of cashiers they employed before? If not, what's going to happen to the cashiers who suddenly find themselves making $0/hour?

What do you guys think?

[geoffrey]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

[Renegade]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Self-serve checkouts will do for retailing what ATMs did for banking. They add value by allowing more checkouts and thus reducing people's wait time. This continues a trend which has extended from gas-stations to banks. I envisioin a day, where there will be a touchscreen at evey table in a resturant where you can place your order.

Will it eliminate jobs? Absolutely, and that's the way it should be. We shouldn't be using expensive labour to replace something which can be done more efficiently by automation. All the more reason why people should be constantly upgrading their skills to make sure they are not redundant.

[August1991]

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

The cashiers most certainly will be out of a job and while it is unfortunate for them, it is a good thing for society.

We no longer have typewriter manufacturers or elevator attendants. These people lost their jobs and had to find something else to do. The "something else to do" means that society will have more available.

If we were all doing the same jobs people did 3000 years ago, most of us would still be living in caves. Somehow, in the past 3000 years, alot of "cashier clerks" lost their jobs and found "something else to do". The result is that few of us live in caves and we can have this discussion on a computer screen.

[cybercoma]

Self Serve Checkout

Here is an interesting article on self serve checkouts in grocery stores.

According to a study of shopping habits, 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed are more likely to shop at stores with self-service than those without. In a September 2004 study by Ipsos Reid, a similarly worded question found that only 27 per cent would be more likely to shop at store with self-checkout.

In the latest survey, sponsored by NCR Corp. (which makes self-service solutions), 89 per cent said they shop between one and seven times a week, and most often their trips are for 10 or fewer items. More than half (52 per cent) of shoppers said they feel frustrated waiting in line to check out their purchases. Respondents also revealed they spend an average of 8.4 minutes lining up at the checkout, and that they wait almost half-an-hour, on average, in stores either trying to get information or ordering something.

"In today's 'always-on' world, consumers want more control, choice and convenience in their daily lives. They are no longer willing to wait in line or tolerate poor service, and are demanding the ability to serve themselves when, how and where they want," said Patrick Leonard, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division in Canada. "Self-service shopping has a universal appeal that transcends factors like age, gender, ethnicity and economic strata."

When queried as to which self-service technologies they would be most likely to use, 44 percent said they would use self-checkout to scan, bag and pay for their items. The study also found that many Canadians said there are other ways in which self-service technologies can make shopping more convenient. A majority pointed to the ability to "check prices yourself in the store" (62 per cent) while a good proportion said being able "to pay and collect a pre-ordered delivery" (30 per cent).

"Self-service can help retailers better manage staff, especially during peak times. With self-checkout, store personnel can be redirected onto the floor to provide more product information, sales assistance and shelf restocking -- tasks that help contribute to improved levels of customer satisfaction," said Leonard.

What I'm really interested in is what the "living wage" advocates think of this. If people start using these on a regular basis, will businesses still need the same amount of cashiers they employed before? If not, what's going to happen to the cashiers who suddenly find themselves making $0/hour?

What do you guys think?

In the store I work in, cashiers were moved out onto the sales floor to provide assistance there. They also happen to make more money in sales instead of being on cash. So, instead of making $9/hour they're now making $11.50/hour on average.

[cybercoma]

I'd also like to add that not a single cashier lost his/her job from these self-checkouts being installed. We have less cashiers today than we did before the systems were installed, however, that's because they were moved onto the sales floor and hours were added for customer service/freight.

[GostHacked]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Self-serve checkouts will do for retailing what ATMs did for banking. They add value by allowing more checkouts and thus reducing people's wait time. This continues a trend which has extended from gas-stations to banks. I envisioin a day, where there will be a touchscreen at evey table in a resturant where you can place your order.

Will it eliminate jobs? Absolutely, and that's the way it should be. We shouldn't be using expensive labour to replace something which can be done more efficiently by automation. All the more reason why people should be constantly upgrading their skills to make sure they are not redundant.

As long as the transaction does not cost me a 1.50 every time I use 'another checkout'. Also if I decide to use a live cashier they wont charge me out the nose for that either (banks are horrible for this) I would not mind the scan and dash method.

This poses another question : If stuff messes up, who takes responsibility to correct any errors? Hopefully the Manger or hmm cashier will be able to fix any mistakes. I work in the IT, and to tell you the truth, the Internet is held together with spit and tissue paper. Transactions may fail.

[Renegade]

As long as the transaction does not cost me a 1.50 every time I use 'another checkout'. Also if I decide to use a live cashier they wont charge me out the nose for that either (banks are horrible for this) I would not mind the scan and dash method.

For now I doubt that there will be charges to use manned checkouts. The goal of retailers is to get customers to be familiar and comfortable with using self-checkouts. No doubt they would like to offer incentives to use self-checkouts but unions would object to this.

With time as the public becomes comfortable, there will no doubt be a "service charge" to use a manned checkout. This has been done for gas-stations (via the higher price), this has been done for banking (via service fees), and I can't see why this same model wouildn't be extended to retail. The net of it is that in the future, if you value going to a "full-service" cashier, you should have to pay the additional cost.

This poses another question : If stuff messes up, who takes responsibility to correct any errors? Hopefully the Manger or hmm cashier will be able to fix any mistakes. I work in the IT, and to tell you the truth, the Internet is held together with spit and tissue paper. Transactions may fail.

Generally self-serve checkouts are not completely unmanned. There is one cashier who oversees a number of checkouts. They will resolve any errors or issues. Right now, bucause of the public's unfamiliarity with the technology, one person will oversee only a couple of self-serve checkouts. With time, that number will increase as the public becomes comfortable and the take-up increases.

[Renegade]

I'd also like to add that not a single cashier lost his/her job from these self-checkouts being installed. We have less cashiers today than we did before the systems were installed, however, that's because they were moved onto the sales floor and hours were added for customer service/freight.

No doubt there will be less cashier posiitons. The only ones who need be worried are those who are not adaptable enough to take on a different role.

[fryingpan]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Even the part-time cashiers (students still in school, etc...)? Most of the cashiers where I live are not unionized, and I doubt any of Wal-Mart's cashiers are.

What about security systems? If a store becomes fully automized, they will still need someone there to prevent people from stealing.

[Riverwind]

What about security systems? If a store becomes fully automized, they will still need someone there to prevent people from stealing.

Actually no. There is a new radio bar code technology which will be deployed in the next few years. With this technology customers will no longer need to scan products: they simply walk past a detector and will be presented with a bill for all of the items they are carrying - even if they are hiding something under their coat.

[August1991]

RFID technology is having a tangible impact on a wide array of industries across the globe, according to a new briefing paper by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Companies in the retail sector have been the fastest to adopt RFID, but programmes in consumer goods, logistics, life sciences, automotive and government are now delivering reduced costs, better inventory control and improved responsiveness to consumer demand. RFID (radio frequency identification) is a wireless technology consisting of tags and readers that can be used to exchange information about items, people or animals.

Link

And then there are those against the new technology:

Gillette is at it again -- this time in the Land Down Under. Australia's largest retailer, Coles Myer, has confirmed that it is selling Gillette Mach3 razor packages laced with radio frequency identification (RFID) spy chips, according to a story in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald.

Boycott Gillette

----

I agree with Renegade above. The purpose of new technology is to eliminate jobs. That frees up people's time to do something else. It is the basis of economic growth.

[Riverwind]

And then there are those against the new technology:

Such silliness - people just don't understand what the technology does or how it works. Once you leave the store you can rip off the tags and never worry about them again. You can't complain that stores track all of your purchase because they already do that today with the store loyalty cards and regular barcodes.

[geoffrey]

RFID will mean a major improvement to inventory systems and payment processing no doubt. It's already used widely in transportation and I use it in my work with managing documents (I can sell you a system if you'd so desire... see if anyone's stealing from your house! ). It's actually brilliant.

The next bar code is RFID. The costs are really plummeting and it'll be in stores very soon.

According to some, I may be a spy though, so don't listen to my RFIP madness.

[cybercoma]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Self-serve checkouts will do for retailing what ATMs did for banking. They add value by allowing more checkouts and thus reducing people's wait time. This continues a trend which has extended from gas-stations to banks. I envisioin a day, where there will be a touchscreen at evey table in a resturant where you can place your order.

Will it eliminate jobs? Absolutely, and that's the way it should be. We shouldn't be using expensive labour to replace something which can be done more efficiently by automation. All the more reason why people should be constantly upgrading their skills to make sure they are not redundant.

As long as the transaction does not cost me a 1.50 every time I use 'another checkout'. Also if I decide to use a live cashier they wont charge me out the nose for that either (banks are horrible for this) I would not mind the scan and dash method.

This poses another question : If stuff messes up, who takes responsibility to correct any errors? Hopefully the Manger or hmm cashier will be able to fix any mistakes. I work in the IT, and to tell you the truth, the Internet is held together with spit and tissue paper. Transactions may fail.

The most inaccurate cashiers in the stores are the self-checkouts. Machines fail, cutomers get extra change, etc.

[cybercoma]

I'd also like to add that not a single cashier lost his/her job from these self-checkouts being installed. We have less cashiers today than we did before the systems were installed, however, that's because they were moved onto the sales floor and hours were added for customer service/freight.

No doubt there will be less cashier posiitons. The only ones who need be worried are those who are not adaptable enough to take on a different role.

They remained cashiers. None of them were let go.

[Renegade]

The most inaccurate cashiers in the stores are the self-checkouts. Machines fail, cutomers get extra change, etc.

Maybe for now. Both the manufacturerers and the retailers have incentive to fix these initial problems

[Renegade]

They remained cashiers. None of them were let go.

I know none were let go. How did they remain cashers if they moved to the sales floor? Did they become only part-time cashiers?

[cybercoma]

They remained cashiers. None of them were let go.

I know none were let go. How did they remain cashers if they moved to the sales floor? Did they become only part-time cashiers?

The ones who weren't adaptable remained cashiers, the ones who were adaptable moved to the sales floor.

[August1991]

The ones who weren't adaptable remained cashiers, the ones who were adaptable moved to the sales floor.

You people don't seem to get it. The question is not whether so-and-so gets to keep their job as a cashier. The whole point of new technology is to eliminate jobs.

When a machine or a computer can replace a person, that person can then go on to do something else and society will have both what the machine produces, and what the person can now produce elsewhere.

IOW, job creation is an inaccurate measure of economic performance. In a sense, we should measure job destruction because that is how society develops and becomes better off.

[i call this the Sixth Fallacy of Intelligent people.]

We no longer have typewriter repairmen (computer printers), far fewer tellers (ATMs), fewer projectionists (TV), fewer car garages (more durable cars). What happened to employees in the vinyl disc industry? Think how many washerwomen lost their jobs with the advent of the washing machine. Horse traders, horseshoe makers (blacksmiths) are occupations of the past. What does a wheelwright do?

----

Incidentally, the argument in favour of free trade relies on the same line of reasoning. Trade, after all, is the same as a new technology. You can make your clothes yourself, or you can do something else, earn money and then buy your clothes.

[Renegade]

They remained cashiers. None of them were let go.

I know none were let go. How did they remain cashers if they moved to the sales floor? Did they become only part-time cashiers?

The ones who weren't adaptable remained cashiers, the ones who were adaptable moved to the sales floor.

So, as I said, the net was that there were less cashiers. Others had to get different jobs.

[JerrySeinfeld]

Self Serve Checkout

Here is an interesting article on self serve checkouts in grocery stores.

According to a study of shopping habits, 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed are more likely to shop at stores with self-service than those without. In a September 2004 study by Ipsos Reid, a similarly worded question found that only 27 per cent would be more likely to shop at store with self-checkout.

In the latest survey, sponsored by NCR Corp. (which makes self-service solutions), 89 per cent said they shop between one and seven times a week, and most often their trips are for 10 or fewer items. More than half (52 per cent) of shoppers said they feel frustrated waiting in line to check out their purchases. Respondents also revealed they spend an average of 8.4 minutes lining up at the checkout, and that they wait almost half-an-hour, on average, in stores either trying to get information or ordering something.

"In today's 'always-on' world, consumers want more control, choice and convenience in their daily lives. They are no longer willing to wait in line or tolerate poor service, and are demanding the ability to serve themselves when, how and where they want," said Patrick Leonard, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division in Canada. "Self-service shopping has a universal appeal that transcends factors like age, gender, ethnicity and economic strata."

When queried as to which self-service technologies they would be most likely to use, 44 percent said they would use self-checkout to scan, bag and pay for their items. The study also found that many Canadians said there are other ways in which self-service technologies can make shopping more convenient. A majority pointed to the ability to "check prices yourself in the store" (62 per cent) while a good proportion said being able "to pay and collect a pre-ordered delivery" (30 per cent).

"Self-service can help retailers better manage staff, especially during peak times. With self-checkout, store personnel can be redirected onto the floor to provide more product information, sales assistance and shelf restocking -- tasks that help contribute to improved levels of customer satisfaction," said Leonard.

What I'm really interested in is what the "living wage" advocates think of this. If people start using these on a regular basis, will businesses still need the same amount of cashiers they employed before? If not, what's going to happen to the cashiers who suddenly find themselves making $0/hour?

What do you guys think?

Replace 'em (the cashiers) - if that s what the market wants.

Too bad for the cashiers. They'll land on their feet. Maybe some will find work as automated cashier machine attendants.

Definition of a union: (1) an organization that attempts to recieve more than market value for it's members. (2) an organization that promotes inefficiency by protecting jobs that would otherwise be obselete.

[fryingpan]

Self Serve Checkout

Here is an interesting article on self serve checkouts in grocery stores.

According to a study of shopping habits, 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed are more likely to shop at stores with self-service than those without. In a September 2004 study by Ipsos Reid, a similarly worded question found that only 27 per cent would be more likely to shop at store with self-checkout.

In the latest survey, sponsored by NCR Corp. (which makes self-service solutions), 89 per cent said they shop between one and seven times a week, and most often their trips are for 10 or fewer items. More than half (52 per cent) of shoppers said they feel frustrated waiting in line to check out their purchases. Respondents also revealed they spend an average of 8.4 minutes lining up at the checkout, and that they wait almost half-an-hour, on average, in stores either trying to get information or ordering something.

"In today's 'always-on' world, consumers want more control, choice and convenience in their daily lives. They are no longer willing to wait in line or tolerate poor service, and are demanding the ability to serve themselves when, how and where they want," said Patrick Leonard, vice president of NCR's Retail Solutions Division in Canada. "Self-service shopping has a universal appeal that transcends factors like age, gender, ethnicity and economic strata."

When queried as to which self-service technologies they would be most likely to use, 44 percent said they would use self-checkout to scan, bag and pay for their items. The study also found that many Canadians said there are other ways in which self-service technologies can make shopping more convenient. A majority pointed to the ability to "check prices yourself in the store" (62 per cent) while a good proportion said being able "to pay and collect a pre-ordered delivery" (30 per cent).

"Self-service can help retailers better manage staff, especially during peak times. With self-checkout, store personnel can be redirected onto the floor to provide more product information, sales assistance and shelf restocking -- tasks that help contribute to improved levels of customer satisfaction," said Leonard.

What I'm really interested in is what the "living wage" advocates think of this. If people start using these on a regular basis, will businesses still need the same amount of cashiers they employed before? If not, what's going to happen to the cashiers who suddenly find themselves making $0/hour?

What do you guys think?

Replace 'em (the cashiers) - if that s what the market wants.

Too bad for the cashiers. They'll land on their feet. Maybe some will find work as automated cashier machine attendants.

Definition of a union: (1) an organization that attempts to recieve more than market value for it's members. (2) an organization that promotes inefficiency by protecting jobs that would otherwise be obselete.

I don't feel very sorry for the cashiers, I just wanted to know whether or not these self serve checkouts would have an effect on their jobs (since there seems to be so many different opinions on it).

(1) an organization that attempts to recieve more than market value for it's members.

May I add "at the expense of other people"?

[mcqueen625]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Who are you talking about? Those people that used to scan and beep as you choose to call it are not helping serve peole in the aisles, they no longer have jobs, period. This self-serve solution is about only one thing, and that is eliminating employees, and thus increasing the bottom line. I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in. The store would just eliminate those positions and employ only those who now stock shelves.

Don't kid yourself, none of tese stores will shift those employees to another part of the store, they will simply lay them of, but if you are naive enough to believe this corporate B.S. of how much they care about their employees, you go right ahead. Those of us that are more enlightened know better.

[August1991]

This self-serve solution is about only one thing, and that is eliminating employees, and thus increasing the bottom line.

mcqueen, you are absolutely right. This is about eliminating jobs, and improving the bottom line.

Good thing, too.

If we had always protected jobs in the past, and never improved the bottom line, we would still be living in caves and one of the most respected (and protected) jobs would be "fire-keeper".