Wal-Mart in my area is now getting Self-Checkout lines!!!!! (1 Viewer)

[Travis Hedger]

Sweet mother of no waiting in line any longer Self Checkout lines have arrived in Oklahoma City!

I couldn't believe it, finally a self check out lane, no, wait 4 of em on this side of the store, all empty, ready to go, to accept my goods on the scanner and payment in return. I looked around, noone seemed interested, however, the traditional check out lines were ALL packed, completely backed up, yet I had 4 glorious self check out lanes right in front of me to choose from.

It went exactly as I expected, scan, bag, scan bag, tap done, select my payment method, swipe card, sign, take receipt and I am GONE! I was in an out in a jiff, just the way it NEVER is on the traditional lanes!

I hope this spreads to more stores around here!!!!!

 

[Philip_G]

the grocery store here has 4 of them, I can't wait for walmart to get them. The wait there is rediculous.
An interesting fact about the grocery store, hidden up underneath the light is a camera shining down on the scanner so they can see what you scan, someone watches them at all times.

 

[Joseph S]

I hate these things, the more they open the fewer checkout lines I see with actual checkers. Great for 1 or 2 items, yes, but just awful for almost every other instance. Nothing like sitting in one of the two store checkout lanes open staring at 8 to 14 without any help at all.

 

[Matt Pelham]

I love them. The Walmart near me (one of those new small WalMart Marketplace supermarkets) has 6 self checkout lanes, and I'm so used to it I refuse to go to a traditional cashier checkout lane. Now when I go to any other supermarket I get made that an actual person has to scan my items.

 

[James T]

I use them at my grocery store and love it. I hope my wal-mart gets it soon.

 

[Jason Seaver]

No Wal-Marts near me (I'd have head out to Quincy... And yet my grandmother still gives me Wal-Mart gift cards for Christmas), but I've grown to love the ones at the supermarket. The only times I don't use them are when I've got a coupon I know they won't take. I just hope that it won't go completely to hell when people stop being scared of them.

 

[Malcolm R]

So not only do they get your money, but they also get you to do all the work to check yourself out as well.

Nice labor savings for them, and one less job available to the unemployed masses.

 

[Rob Lutter]

As Matt said (we probably shop at the same place ), the Wal*mart standalone grocery stores around here have them and they RULE. Great if you are just buying a loaf of bread or some milk

 

[Travis Hedger]

So be it.

Automation comes in, and steals someones job, it happened all during the industrial revolution and has kept moving forward. People will find other work in other fields.

I don't mind doing my own groceries, its much faster than waiting for someone to do it for me.

 

[SteveA]

Just what we need - another socialistic Wal-Mart bashing thread.

:rolleyes

 

[Scott Dautel]

About a year ago, the K-Mart near me tried this. It lasted about 4-6 months, then they were removed. A clerk later told me K-Mart was getting robbed blind thanks to self-checkout.
... and believe it or not, my K-Mart is in a fairly nice residential area. There's just something about Big K that seems to attract an unsavory element ... what's up with that?

I blame Martha Stewart

Scott

 

[Leila Dougan]

Eh, I think they suck. Granted I've never used them at Walmart (I don't shop there) but I've tried them at the grocery store and at Lowes. They were okay at first, but after a few mishaps I think they are really obnoxious. Nothing like having something fall out of the bag (thanks to the crappy plastic) then the machine complaining. You can't do anything but wait for an employee to come over and rescue you. Also, checking out a long piece of lumber at Lowes was next to impossible considering the object has to be placed on the scale without you touching it. It just kept falling off the counter so again I had to sit and wait.

 

[Malcolm R]

Right back 'atcha, SteveA.

I'm actually a huge supporter of Wal-Mart. I've driven many, many miles for years to shop at their stores long before any were even in my state. But since the only jobs we'll have in this county in another 20 years or so are at Wal-Mart and McDonald's, I'm simply lamenting that the change is taking place so quickly and that apparently even the Wal-Mart jobs cannot be counted upon.


Kmart I shop at also did this. Put them in, then took them out. Never knew the reason though.

 

[Scott Strang]

The Super-K in my area (now appropriately closed) had those I seem to remember cashiers or CSM's always having to be at the registers to make sure people checked out right. Plus most of the customers couldn't figure out how to get them to work.

I would expect Wal-Mart or Target to have the same problem although I've never heard of a Target with self checkout.

 

[SteveA]

People made the same prediction 40-50 years ago. Automation was going to put everyone out of work. It didn't happen then and it's not going to happen now either, even with the new threat of "offshoring" thrown into the mix. In fact, just the opposite problem is going to occur. The retirement of the baby-boom generation is going to lead to a massive shortage of workers, not jobs. We're going to need all the automation we can get.

 

[Brian Perry]

I like the principle of the DIY checkout, but my only experiences with them, at Home Depot, have been less than satisfying. As Leila mentioned, dimensional lumber is impossible, the scanner is quirky with many odd-sized items, and most frustrating, there is some kind of scale under the bagged items that constantly is triggering a stern message from the computer-- "Unexpected item in bagging area. Please remove." Or then, "Place item back in bagging area." After a few rounds of that, the DIY sentinel has to come over and rescue me, kind of negating the whole point.

 

[Edwin-S]

Good one. These companies turn people into unpaid employees, to boost profit margins, and people actually thank them for it. It's just too funny.

I wonder if people will think these things are so wonderful when cashiers are a thing of the past and they are standing in line waiting to do their own checking out.

 

[Philip_G]

a couple fewer cashiers are making 7.50 an hour. I don't think it's really a huge impact on the economy, if there's one place I CAN find a job right now it's in service.

 

[SteveA]

A lot of older folks are grandfathered into traditional pension plans. The baby boomers also have social security benefits to look forward to. My generation (Generation X) might not be so lucky. By all accounts, there are a great number of very affluent boomers. These people WILL retire, starting in the next 5-10 years.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Deanna Troi: Captain, I sense a mild political drift to the conversation here. Should I notify HTF Command?

Jean-Luc Picard: Make it so.

Given that Wal-Mart is very much in the news of late, let's try to ignore that and focus on those self-checkout lines. Thanks.