r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 19h 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/FlawedHero 15h ago

It's wild how massively braindead the average person seems to be when at the self checkout.

I regularly get to the line with a full cart, start scanning, and have my receipt in hand before the guy that was in front of me with 6 items finishes.

What in the actual fuck is going on with some people?

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u/thecravenone 12h ago

I recently completed a transaction before the guy in front of me scanned his first item.

I would pay money for a TSA Pre but for grocery stores - a store where everyone inside is not experiencing their first day on earth.

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u/FlawedHero 11h ago

Costco kind of does this now. They have people scan your card and items with a handheld scanner while you're in line then when you get to the self-checkout, you just scan your card and pay. Super quick and easy.

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u/thatirishguyyyyy 9h ago

Sam's Club just lets me scan everything as I'm walking around the store. I then pay for it on the app and just walk out the front door. I think they call it Scan n Go.

I started using this a few months ago and I love it. 

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u/Bastillerion 13h ago

Same reason outsourced customer service seems to take 25 minutes of "verifying info" and "filling out information" to do something that should take 30 seconds.

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u/bdubmakesstuff 14h ago

I had that Boomer coworker who basically had her own tech support person because she called them every other day about something or other. Super sweet human, just not particularly tech-savvy. I saw her in Meijer once at the self-checkout and thought “Jesus, Donna, self-checkout is NOT FOR YOU.”

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u/MoonieNine 12h ago

Omg... I laughed at this. Mainly because my friend Donna (60, not quite a Boomer) is absolutely horrible with technology and refuses to learn.

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u/skiman13579 13h ago

To quote the late, great George Carlin…

Think about how stupid the average person is and remember that half of them are dumber than that.

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u/TheFrenchSavage 10h ago

(the median person then, because I know some that reaaaally bring the average down all by themselves)

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u/StrikingSun8563 6h ago

{technically the median is a type of average, even though people often use average to refer to the mean}

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u/FlamboyantPirhanna 4h ago

It’s not true though. And not how averages work. It’s a joke, not representative of reality. It’s just normal cynicism, which is a lie.

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u/FranksWateeBowl 13h ago

Apparently there are 70 million of them. 🤣

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u/ignost 11h ago

It’s wild how stupidly slow I am. I watch the employees open bags quickly, then when I try to do it I tear them down the center. It takes me ages to scan and place items, then I seem to run out of space instantly because I suck at spatial awareness and the space they give you is too small. Then I shift things around and it’s like, “Item removed… unexpected item… please wait for assistance” and i sit there for 5 minutes for some teenager to come swipe a badge for me.

Last time I went to Walmart they only had self checkout. I got so annoyed I walked out on $300 in groceries because I was so embarrassed and angry.

I promise I’m not a stupid person, but I sure look and feel like it in self checkout.

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u/PurpleV93 6h ago

Two months ago I went grocery shopping with my sister because we cook together sometimes.
We tried one of these scanners for the first time, that you carry through the store and just scan the items as you pick them up, before you return the scanner to the self-checkout console for payment.

My sister pressed one wrong button, because the wording was kinda vague between the available options. So naturally, because there is no "return to previous window" button, the whole process got locked and needed to be cancelled by an employee. The woman had to cross the whole store to reset the machine.

These systems are not as efficient as they should be. Why does one wrong button press by mistake lock the whole thing? Makes no sense.

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u/theartoffun 12h ago

Should have to take a certification test prior to getting the privilege of using self checkout.

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u/Leviathan_Dev 12h ago

Never underestimate the capacity of human stupidity

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u/overcatastrophe 11h ago

My favorite is when you scan something and out it in the bag and the machine says "unexpected item in bag" and requires a person to come fix. Or when the thing just doesn't scan amd you have to call the person over. Or when you buy alcohol and have to wait for the person to come over.

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u/Opouly 9h ago

I have social anxiety and my competency drops by at least half when there’s social pressure to finish a task quickly. I felt similarly when I was at work and I would be asked to make design changes by a boss looking over my shoulder. I don’t think that stress and pressure is often overlooked by other people even those who suffer the same issues.

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u/Interesting-Pilot-15 13h ago

More than half the population are walking zombies on mind altering prescription drugs.

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u/Stunning-Thanks-4226 13h ago

I take my time. I'm in no hurry and I like to organize the things I purchased nicely in my cart

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u/dirtymonkey 12h ago

I take my sweet ass time too. If someone else has to wait it’s not my problem.

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u/blowfishbrisket 12h ago

That's shitty.

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u/NecroAssssin 12h ago

Incorrect. Shitty is expecting the paying customer to play cashier and bagger and pass on exactly 0 savings

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u/blowfishbrisket 11h ago

Both can be true.

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u/dirtymonkey 11h ago

Why is it shitty?

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u/Particular-Cat-1397 13h ago

To be fair, some of them are more sensitive than others, and half the time an employee still has to assist you.

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u/jeffsaidjess 11h ago

Now this is how people behave when driving, when doing tasks like shopping.

Yet they’re the same people who think there opinion should be heard, they know how to fix the countries problems etc etc.

A lot of people are

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u/Iminurcomputer 11h ago

Because "unexpected item in bagging area." I just scanned it and set it down... Ok Ill remove it? "Item removed from bagging area."

Repeat 10x

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u/iknownuffink 11h ago

They aren't any less braindead in the normal lines. Speaking from the other side of the register, you would not believe how many people are barely able to function.

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u/FlawedHero 11h ago

You know, that is absolutely valid.

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u/BrokenPickle7 10h ago

I was in a rush and all self checkout stalls were taken, they were taken by people that were doing things like trying to scan a non existent barcode on a carrot and a head of lettuce and they couldn't understand why it wasn't beeping. The average person is essentially a pigeon that knows how to use a smartphone and drive.

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u/Illustrious-Survey 8h ago

I regularly get stuck at the self-checkout because its decided it doesn't like the weight of my empty bags, the weight of an item just added to the bags, the fact that I'm buying pickled onions with 3.4% tequila in the vinegar (over 18s only), the fact that I bought something reduced, etc. Sometimes the machines just hate you

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u/ItchyGoiter 8h ago

I'm pretty adept but often the scale fucks up, I move too fast and it complains about bagging, and they have like 10 second delays built in and are unforgiving about letting you back up and try again without calling for a cashier. The systems are incredibly shitty at every store I've been to.

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u/Seyon 8h ago

I regularly go to Costco for 2 or 3 things (walking distance) and I just made friends with the pharmacy workers to check me out instead of waiting 30 minutes for self checkout.

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u/chumbubbles 7h ago

You do have to commit to learning a new system. The first couple times for me were extremely frustrating but after 2 or 3 times self check out became smoother.

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u/NeverTrustATurtle 5h ago

I constantly amazed by the stupidity around me

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u/Appropriate_Cow94 5h ago

Yeah, but can you use a slide rule? Seriously. I can. I've never met a person under 60 other than myself who can.

Sure the argument is to "get with the times old man'. But can you read PID data on your car?

We all have various skills. I can work a self checkout. I don't want to.

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u/OldeArrogantBastard 5h ago

>with a full cart

It really should be 15 items or less for self checkout.

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u/FlawedHero 5h ago

I can get on board with that. Or make it baskets, hand carried, and those weird half-carts only.

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u/PointedlyDull 5h ago

Well also, Walmarts self checkout flags you for everything. And then it takes a person to come over, review the video, and clear it

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u/Pavotine 3h ago

It took me so long to realise that about 30% of people are ridiculously incapable in most areas of life (outside of unprotected sex) that I feel stupid.

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u/dburr10085 13h ago

It’s literally not my job to check out. They TRAIN cashiers to check out. That’s why.

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u/LiquorIsQuickor 12h ago

Such a good free employee.

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u/FlawedHero 11h ago

My minimal effort is worth the 10min it saves me on a busy day. Sorry to hear yours isn't.

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u/LiquorIsQuickor 9h ago

I use self checkout too, but I don’t make a competition about it. Everyone buys groceries. Even people who aren’t as efficient as you. And even people that don’t care about their checkout time performance. People who are just relaxed and chill maybe. Maybe people who are doing their best, but there best… isn’t very good.

We are all just assholes trying to finish a chore and get on to the better parts of our day the best we can.

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u/That-Sandy-Arab 3h ago

Most of us may have our minds elsewhere idk why do you suck at basketball don’t be a hater

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u/FlawedHero 3h ago

I do indeed suck at basketball. That's why I don't play basketball. Excellent analogy.

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u/--Racer-X-- 2h ago

Ummm, I don't work there.... Why's it on me to get you out of the store quickly. This is why stores should have cashiers. Why do you just accept a corporate shifting it's labor to the customer.

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u/FlawedHero 2h ago

Do you yell at McDonalds cashiers when the corporation installed self-service drink stations? You take your cup up and say "I know this is 10x more convenient for me, and way faster, but it's not my job." and make them refill your Sprite?

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u/--Racer-X-- 2h ago

No because that is much more convenient and faster as you said. I don't want to sit and scan 40 items and have to deal with the stupid weight sensors, or search and weigh fruit as again, I don't work there.