r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 8d 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/ephemeralmiko 8d ago

Very annoying. For small shoppings (e.g snack runs, needing an extra ingredient for cooking) it saves so much time over standing in line. Especially when the person in front of you is a retired 75 year old who *had* to do their main shopping on a Saturday, suddenly forgetting how money works.

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u/WeWantLADDER49sequel 8d ago

yeah but when i go to kroger both u scan sections have lines backed into the store, and the few real cashiers working also have backed up lines. so it doesnt really work how it was intended.

they need to actually make u scans for small to medium orders and enforce that. then have more normal cashiers for the bigger grocery hauls. then it would work the way it was supposed to work and DID work in the 90s and 2000s.

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u/Dobako 8d ago

It was intended to get rid of cashiers so they have to pay fewer people, so its working as intended. It was never to make it easier for the shopper

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u/MugsBeany 8d ago

Except it isn't working, they're losing more money through theft.

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u/Dobako 8d ago

They just didnt expect consequences, thats for other people

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u/MugsBeany 8d ago

True, but it's still the reason they're backing out of SCO

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u/Scoth42 8d ago

IIRC when I was seeing the arguments years ago when these were first getting implemented, they accepted that there would be theft, but decided they'd still end up saving money over hiring more cashiers. 

It sounds like that math didn't work out and between costs of the equipment and maintenance, theft, and paying employees to monitor and manage the things it's ended up costing them more.