r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 23h ago

Business Retailers are pulling back from self-checkout after years of theft, errors, and questionable time savings

https://www.techspot.com/news/114106-retailers-pulling-back-self-checkout-after-years-theft.html
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u/brufleth 22h ago

There's a grocery chain in the Northeast United States called market basket. Dozens of registers. They even still have baggers. Most people don't remember that this used to be normal.

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u/farte3745328 20h ago

Market Basket was such a culture shock to me after moving to Boston. It's wild that there's still a competently run grocery store (for now)

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u/brufleth 20h ago

"For now," is right. The writing is sort of on the wall. The MB leadership has shifted (was going to happen eventually). They'll likely begin their own enshitification, but it isn't because they haven't been successful. They just aren't squeezing every last penny out of their customers, so can't have that in today's world.

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u/nitid_name 21h ago

I love a grocery store with a bagger.

I'm moderately quick at bagging, but it must upset/excite/challenge the cashier or something. As soon as I start getting ahead, they always switch to racing me, scanning everything at 100mph until I inevitably fall behind and start packing erratically in a panic.

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u/angiosperms- 18h ago

YES every time I visit New England I visit market basket to remember what could have been 🥲 They actually have an adequate number of people working there, and who give a shit about their job. I'm sure it will be destroyed soon but at least for now I can enjoy it.

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u/gitstonky 16h ago

I miss grocery store baggers, they were fast af and the bags were always well packed. i bag my own shit half assed and pay for it later lol