Self Checkout (14 Viewers)

[bigdaddysaints]

you'd probably have better luck just walking out the door with it instead of doing that.

 

[SaintRob]

 

[Hedon James]

I'm looking forward to the Christmas season at WalMart this year. I heard we'll be required to unload our own merch from the delivery trailers?!

 

[RaginCajun83]

Kroger and Walmart forced to rethink self-checkout as shoppers rage

MAJOR grocery stores have been dealing with serious issues like theft without the promise of labor-cost savings since incorporating self-checkout. After multiple occurrences of retail theft, stores…

www.the-sun.com

The article states the obvious about theft but it is so true. These people at the kiosks are at a lost, how you suppose to look after 8 “lanes” at once plus it’s so easy to steal when that cashier is helping someone else

 

[bigdaddysaints]

If they want to keep Self Checkout, they are gonna have to use some kind of AI. There is already a camera and it shows everything you are doing on screen (at Walmart anyway, i haven't been to a Kroger). With the advancement of AI, i feel that may be their only option.
They are gonna have to use a technology like Circle K has, but it'll take some work because of the number of items is much greater at a grocery store than a gas station.

Or maybe use an RFID tags on all items over a certain dollar amount.

 

[DaveXA]

I guess I get why people steal, but then do that many people steal? I've accidentally walked out of the store with something extra or gotten distracted at the checkout line and forgot something, but I've always returned to pay for whatever I missed. And large retailers have loss to theft built into their business model. I guess the question is are that many more people stealing in a self-checkout aisle?

 

[bigdaddysaints]

I guess I get why people steal, but then do that many people steal? I've accidentally walked out of the store with something extra or gotten distracted at the checkout line and forgot something, but I've always returned to pay for whatever I missed. And large retailers have loss to theft built into their business model. I guess the question is are that many more people stealing in a self-checkout aisle?

strealing a frozen pizza or a can of green beans or a case of water or cokes isn't whats hurting them. Its gotta be the big ticket items, high priced items. If i had to guess, at Kroger its meat and Walmart its electronics.
I was at Walmart the other day, i got a pair of shorts on Clearance. the tag was $5. when i rang them up, they came up as $26. I had to wait almost 5 minutes for someone to help me because she was running at least 10 self checkouts by herself. It ticked me off, but i know it wasn't this poor girls fault. between having to keep an eye on that many registers and help a bunch of people who didn't know what they were doing, she was stretched thin.

 

[DaveXA]

strealing a frozen pizza or a can of green beans or a case of water or cokes isn't whats hurting them. Its gotta be the big ticket items, high priced items. If i had to guess, at Kroger its meat and Walmart its electronics.
I was at Walmart the other day, i got a pair of shorts on Clearance. the tag was $5. when i rang them up, they came up as $26. I had to wait almost 5 minutes for someone to help me because she was running at least 10 self checkouts by herself. It ticked me off, but i know it wasn't this poor girls fault. between having to keep an eye on that many registers and help a bunch of people who didn't know what they were doing, she was stretched thin.

Yeah, 1 to 10 is too many to handle when it's busy. The Safeway where I shop, there's always 1, but when it gets busy, they'll have another come over and assist. There's 12 registers and usually 8 or 9 are open at 1 time.

 

[RaginCajun83]

At a Safeway? guess the store I worked at was heavily dependent on self check because we’d be lucky to have 2 lanes opened with someone to call when lines got long

 

[Optimus Prime]

strealing a frozen pizza or a can of green beans or a case of water or cokes isn't whats hurting them. Its gotta be the big ticket items, high priced items. If i had to guess, at Kroger its meat and Walmart its electronics.
I was at Walmart the other day, i got a pair of shorts on Clearance. the tag was $5. when i rang them up, they came up as $26. I had to wait almost 5 minutes for someone to help me because she was running at least 10 self checkouts by herself. It ticked me off, but i know it wasn't this poor girls fault. between having to keep an eye on that many registers and help a bunch of people who didn't know what they were doing, she was stretched thin.

If it was supposed to be $26 but rang up as $5 would you have said anything?

 

[DaveXA]

At a Safeway? guess the store I worked at was heavily dependent on self check because we’d be lucky to have 2 lanes opened with someone to call when lines got long

Yeah, there's always at least one full service lane open and 2-3 during busy hours in addition to the 2 lanes of 6 self service registers. The only bad thing about the self service is the aisles get really crowded when all of the registers are being used. There's really not enough room to get a large cart through without people having to move around to let them through.

 

[DaveXA]

If it was supposed to be $26 but rang up as $5 would you have said anything?

I actually have, lol. If it's that much different, I definitely will ask. If it's like a dollar or 2, I won't bother with it.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

If they want to keep Self Checkout, they are gonna have to use some kind of AI. There is already a camera and it shows everything you are doing on screen (at Walmart anyway, i haven't been to a Kroger). With the advancement of AI, i feel that may be their only option.
They are gonna have to use a technology like Circle K has, but it'll take some work because of the number of items is much greater at a grocery store than a gas station.

Or maybe use an RFID tags on all items over a certain dollar amount.

couldn't they just make something like TSA bag scanner - load your groceries on one side - they scan through while you start to bag on the other side?

 

[Hedon James]

couldn't they just make something like TSA bag scanner - load your groceries on one side - they scan through while you start to bag on the other side?

the best solution, IMO, would be some kind of cart/basket scanner. if you put something in the cart/basket, and RFID tag "registers" and your tab is incremented; remove it, and your tab is decremented. scan your card/payment method at the door and take your items directly to your car, or bags for walking.

would eliminate the potential for theft, and certainly eliminates the redundancy of loading up your cart while shopping; unloading it for scans and bagging; re-loading after scan/bagging; and unloading again at your transportation. at a minimum, seems like it would be quicker, potentially reducing waits in lines. at best, solves theft issues and is a transparent process. seems like the technology already exists to implement, but maybe we're not quite there yet?

 

[bigdaddysaints]

the best solution, IMO, would be some kind of cart/basket scanner. if you put something in the cart/basket, and RFID tag "registers" and your tab is incremented; remove it, and your tab is decremented. scan your card/payment method at the door and take your items directly to your car, or bags for walking.

would eliminate the potential for theft, and certainly eliminates the redundancy of loading up your cart while shopping; unloading it for scans and bagging; re-loading after scan/bagging; and unloading again at your transportation. at a minimum, seems like it would be quicker, potentially reducing waits in lines. at best, solves theft issues and is a transparent process. seems like the technology already exists to implement, but maybe we're not quite there yet?

we use RFID tags in the warehouse at the plant i work at. We have RFID readers that pick everything up if you pass through them without scanning it. We have what is called a Portal and when they scan their work badge and put in their workorder, when they go through the portal it picks up every item as they walk across the threshhold. Only draw back is, you have to tag every item with a RFID sticker, thats not much different than a paper label. But the tags disable when they are read. There is technology available if they want it. but its a liitle more expensive. but its cheaper than hiring 10 people or just letting stuff walk out the door.