#Self-Checkout Kiosks

[xtruss]

'It Hasn't Delivered': The Spectacular Failure of Self-checkout Technology

— 15th January 2024 | By Sam Becker, Features Correspondent | BBC

Self-checkout technology has grown, but not every business and consumer is happy with the investment. Credit: Alamy

Unstaffed Tills Were Supposed to Revolutionise Shopping. Now, Both Retailers and Customers are Bagging Many Self-Checkout Kiosks.

It's a common sight at many retail stores: a queue of people, waiting to use a self-checkout kiosk, doing their best to remain patient as a lone store worker attends to multiple malfunctioning machines. The frustration mounts while a dozen darkened, roped-off and cashier-less tills sit in the background.

For shoppers, self-checkout was supposed to provide convenience and speed. Retailers hoped it would usher in a new age of cost savings. Their thinking: why pay six employees when you could pay one to oversee customers at self-service registers, as they do their own labour of scanning and bagging for free?

While self-checkout technology has its theoretical selling points for both consumers and businesses, it mostly isn't living up to expectations. Customers are still queueing. They need store employees to help clear kiosk errors or check their identifications for age-restricted items. Stores still need to have workers on-hand to help them, and to service the machines.

The technology is, in some cases, more trouble than it's worth.

"It hasn't delivered anything that it promises," says Christopher Andrews, associate professor and chair of sociology at Drew University, US, and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy. "Stores saw this as the next frontier… If they could get the consumer to think that [self-checkout] was a preferable way to shop, then they could cut labour costs. But they're finding that people need help doing it, or that they'll steal stuff. They ended up realising that they're not saving money, they're losing money."

Alamy One of the frustrations of self-checkout can be the extra work of having to find a specific PLU code to ring up a purchase. Credit: Alamy

Unexpected Problems in the Bagging Area

Many retail companies have invested millions – if not billions – of dollars in self-checkout technology, which Andrews says was first developed during the 1980s, and started appearing in stores in the 1990s. They're not exactly cheap to get into stores: some experts estimate a four-kiosk system can run six figures.

Despite the cost to install them, many retailers are reversing course on the tech. Target, for instance, is restricting the number of items self-checkout customers can purchase at one time. Walmart has removed some self-checkout kiosks in certain stores to deter theft. In the UK, supermarket chain Booths has also cut down on the number of self-service kiosks in its stores, as customers say they're slow and unreliable.

Dollar General, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the US, is also re-thinking its strategy. In 2022, the discount chain leaned heavily into self-checkout technology – it's not uncommon to see only one or two employees staffing an entire Dollar General store in some areas. Despite the investment, they are now planning to increase the number of employees in stores "and in particular, the checkout area", according to the company's CEO, Todd Vasos.

"We had relied and started to rely too much this year on self-checkout in our stores," he said during the company's Q3 2023 earnings call on 7 December 2023. "We should be using self-checkout as a secondary checkout vehicle, not a primary." (Dollar General did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment).

“Some Data Shows Retailers Utilising Self-checkout Technology Have Loss Rates More Than Twice The Industry Average.”

Some retailers cite theft as a motivator for ditching the unstaffed tills. Customers may be more willing to simply swipe merchandise when using a self-service kiosk than they are when face-to-face with a human cashier. Some data shows retailers utilising self-checkout technology have loss rates more than twice the industry average.

In addition to shrink concerns, experts say another failure of self-checkout technology is that, in many cases, it simply doesn't lead to the cost savings businesses hoped for. Just as Dollar General appears poised to add more employees to its check-out areas, presumably increasing staffing costs, other companies have done the same. Despite self-checkout kiosks becoming ubiquitous throughout the past decade or so, the US still has more than 3.3 million cashiers working around the nation, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Humans or Machines?

Consumers want this technology to work, and welcomed it with open arms. However, years later, they're still queueing for tills; waiting for store-staff assistance with errors or age checks; and searching high and low for the PLU code of the Walla Walla Sweet Onions they're trying to purchase.

In a 2021 survey of 1,000 American shoppers, 60% of consumers said they prefer to use self-checkout over a staffed checkout aisle when given the choice, yet 67% of consumers have had the technology fail while trying to use it.

Alamy Experts say some self-checkout kiosks may stand abandoned as some shoppers transition backed to staffed tills. Credit: Alamy

The bottom line is businesses want to cut costs, and shoppers want to get in and out of a store. If self-checkout isn't the answer, they'll find another avenue.

"It's not that self-checkout technology is good or bad, per se… [but] if we try self-checkout and realise we're not benefitting from it, we might switch back to not using it," says Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas, who studies consumer behaviour and decision-making.

That appears to be happening in many cases, as customers' frustrations with the technology persist. But Andrews says that while stores may change up their strategies – as seen with Dollar General and others – many large retail chains are likely to keep kiosks in stores due to sunk costs. "They spent billions putting it in stores, and are hoping they can still get the public to buy into it," he says.

Retailers may continue to rely on the technology, but many aren't putting all their farm-fresh eggs in the self-checkout basket. Instead, they're increasingly giving customers the option to choose between human and machine.

For the customers that do choose to do the labour themselves, there's one thing Andrews believes won't change. However ubiquitous the technology is, and however much consumers get used to using the kiosks, shoppers are likely to find themselves disappointed and frustrated most of the time.

"It was part of a larger experiment in retail in trying to socialise people into using it," he says. Simply, "customers hate it".

[spid3r-trans]

venom is WHAT

[muddlemore]

brother unintentionally validating my gender moment

[ur-mag]

Brand new self-checkout kiosk allows shoppers to make purchases in 12.5 seconds – but only certain customers can use it | In Trend Today

Brand new self-checkout kiosk allows shoppers to make purchases in 12.5 seconds – but only certain customers can use it Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[razzek]

Also humans need more than one kind of feedback, and especially in something like a vehicle going at 50 or more miles an hour, the driver Does Not need to be looking away from the road for even a second! Switches, dials, and keypads are important!

Touchscreens do not belong in cars

[geirskogul]

those women who go crazy w coupons are such a mystery to me bc one time i was at walmart buying a case of diet coke and there was a coupon on the box that said i could use it to get a dollar off the case but when i used it it actually added a dollar to the price

[newsglobmedia]

Self-Checkout Technologies For Kiosks Market Strategy 2022

Self-Checkout Technologies For Kiosks Market Strategy 2022

Market Overview | Self-Checkout Technologies For Kiosks Market Global “Self-Checkout Technologies For Kiosks Market” report 2022 delivers an overall precise scope of the product, growth prospects, market growth potential, profitability, supply chain, demand, and other essential subjects. The report is completed with all aspects, as it covers all key components with the market size, market share,…

[pisboy]

I fuckin hate going to the grocery store these days man. Either the cashier is unsettlingly depressed or the self checkout kiosks are half broken while the person tending them is unsettlingly depressed and wants me dead for messing up the scale detection by bringing my own bags

[stealingyourbones]

Tall Jazz DP X DC where the batfam is all at a fast food place and so is team Phantom but Jason is standing in front of the only working self checkout kiosk and jazz picks him up by the waist and puts him to the side like an inconveniently placed cat.

The entire batfamily saw it happen and Jason's just blushing like fucking crazy bc tall woman???? Red hair???? STRONG????

Jazz thought that was her brother. She messes with him like that all the time.

A combination of being both very tired and the similar cats eye light reflection off the self checkout kiosk screen and the hair made her assume it was Danny.

When she realized it wasnt, she became absolutely mortified.

Luckily for her, Jason isn't thinking about that too hard. He's too busy blue screening.

[txttletale]

i guess what i don't understand about the whole generative AI thing is … yes, a lot of what's wrong is a function of capitalism, and absent capitalism the value of the tool could be assessed differently. but what we have, in the real world right now, is a tool created and funded and employed by capitalists with specific intent, to automate creative functions in order to avoid having to compensate creative labor. we have game studios doing full AI voices so they don't have to pay actors. we have film executives talking about how within a few years, if all goes as it should, storyboarding will be replaced completely with AI. it doesn't feel like a hypothetical future value-neutral appreciation of AI makes sense to give any weight, when the actual real-world applications, right now, are the farthest thing from value-neutral. and i don't think that putting up a website with a public frontend for the tool absolves anything, when we know what these tools are built specifically to achieve, and being actively used to achieve right now. maybe a lot of people are putting up bad arguments against AI, sure, but that doesn't mean AI somehow isn't making so many things so much worse.

did we defeat machine translation / self checkouts / fast food order kiosks / car factory machines / digital photography / elevator buttons / the spinning jenny? like, sounds like that's a whole bunch of bad stuff employers are planning on doing but no amount of shouting about how the technology is Soulless or at random people who use it is going to stop them. you know what will stop them? unionizing and striking.

[communist-hatsunemiku]

Ok since I have a bit more substantial following. I'm going to detail my surefire method for shoplifting from walmart. I've been doing this for a couple years now, without any repercussions, with my method you can do the same. Read this whole guide, and feel free to ask me questions if need be.

So step one: do your shopping as normal, except grab a few 92 cent packages of tuna(anything small, flat and cheap will work). The amount you grab depends on how many things you're going to steal.

While shopping, place the item to be stolen on top of the tuna in your cart. it's very important that you know where the barcodes are located on both items, as this will come into play in a big way. What's also important is that the item is big enough to completely hide the tuna package under it. Otherwise this method can be risky.

Step two: once you are done with your shopping, head to self check out. Keep an eye on the walmart employee who is manning that station, you want to choose a self checkout that is as far away from them as possible (in my experience these people aren't paying THAT much attention and if they are, they dont care. Look for the younger employee, the ones on their phones, they are your best friend). You want your back facing these people as well.

Step three: Time to ring things up.

Something that is crucial is that you are not stealing literally everything.

Some of your items are going to be paid for normally, and ideally it's some high dollar items you have hid the tuna under. You're going to scan the tuna barcode but make it seem like you are scanning the other item's barcode. This is why you need to hide the tuna underneath the item, be careful not to scan the actual item's barcode because you might end up actually buying it lmao.

Proceed to scan your items, I always do the tuna items first, just to get them out of the way and bagged. I then scan the rest of my items normally, proceed to pay and then leave walmart. Those little scanners at the door only work for things with security devices on them, so dont worry about that. once you are in the parking lot you are home free baby! You just saved a fuckton of money and gave a big fuck you to walmart, good job!

Now, I make it seem very simple, and it is easy once you get the hang of it.

But there a few caveats that are very important.

1. You want everything in a bag, because the employee manning the doors are tasked with checking the receipt if you have something that is not bagged. They are lookingfor the unbagged item on the receipt, and if you have a lot of stuff and only some of them aren't paid for, then usually this isn't an issue. They'll see your huge ass tub of kitty litter on there, and ignore the rest. Still, being stopped by any employee is unwanted.

2. Some self checkout kiosks monitor the weight of items you scan and then place in self checkout, the bagging area is a scale. HOWEVER, in recent years, walmart has forgone that method of limiting shoplifting, I think because it would cause more trouble than it's worth. You need to go to your walmart and test this, which is easy to do.

Above all, it's important to act natural, and it's important to practice. Try it with just one item, you will not get in trouble for having a single item not rung up, if caught.

This post has gotten a bit longer than expected, so if you have questions let me know. HAPPY SHOPLIFTING FUCK WALMART TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL

[beardedmrbean]

A restaurant partially owned by California Governor Gavin Newsom is recruiting for a $16-per-hour role, despite a new state law guaranteeing a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast-food workers. The restaurant appears not to meet the threshold for the new minimum wage, a law that Newsom himself signed to much fanfare in September.

The Context

On April 1, the new law guaranteeing a minimum wage of $20 per hour for fast-food workers employed in large chains took effect across California, up from the previous minimum of $16.

The law was passed by Democrats in the state legislature last year but has come under fire from some Republicans who claim it will cost jobs. A wage of $20 per hour for a full-time worker results in an annual salary of $41,600.

The new law applies to those restaurants that are part of a chain of 60 or more venues nationwide and which offer limited or no table service.

What We Know

PlumpJack Café in Olympic Valley, California, is seeking a part-time busser to "assist the food server in the restaurant to ensure guest satisfaction during all aspects of the dining experience."

The advert, placed on job posting website ZipRecruiter, says that the employee will be paid $16 per hour and their duties will include clearing dishes from tables, the preparation of caffeinated drinks and decorating tables prior to customer arrival.

The café is owned by the PlumpJack Group, a company founded by Newsom which specializes in wine and high-end dining. Its website says that PlumpJack Group operates four bars or restaurants, placing it well below the threshold for the $20 per hour minimum wage to take effect.

Newsom placed his ownership interests in the PlumpJack Group into a blind trust in 2018, and has had no day-to-day involvement in the running of the company since assuming office in January 2019.

Newsweek has contacted Newsom and the PlumpJack Group for comment outside of normal working hours.

The official PlumpJack Group website states: "In 1992, Gavin Newsom opened his first business, PlumpJack Wines, combining his passion for wine and his driving entrepreneurial spirit.

"Over the next decade, the PlumpJack Group began to grow under his leadership to include many of the restaurants, wineries, and retail establishments in the current portfolio."

Views

Republican State Assembly member Joe Patterson shared screenshots of the PlumpJack Café, PlumpJack Group website referring to Newsom as its founder and the rental cost of two properties in the area on X, formerly Twitter.

He added: "I wonder why @CAgovernor @GavinNewson's food businesses don't pay $20/hour? Live job posting at $16/hr in Olympic Valley. It's very, very expensive to live there... but he doesn't do as he tells others and doesn't pay a living wage."

The increased minimum wage for fast-food workers more generally has been criticized by some Republicans who warn it will reduce the number of jobs.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, Rep. Doug LaMalfa from California said: "As if prices in California aren't high enough. Fast food prices are already rising, and employees are being replaced by self-checkout kiosks and soon robot cooks.

"Nearly everyone will be worse off: higher prices, fewer jobs, fewer eating options as places close, and fewer small businesses. Ultimately this new $20 minimum wage will affect nearly every job, with similar results."

In an earnings call at the end of October, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said that "there is going to be a wage impact for our California franchisees," which he added would have to be partially "worked through with higher pricing."

In February, Newsom denied a report by Bloomberg News that he pushed for a separate exception to the new minimum wage law that benefits a campaign donor. The law exempts restaurants that have on-site bakeries and sell bread as a standalone menu item.

As a result, Greg Flynn, a billionaire and Newsom donor, could save hundreds of thousands of dollars at his Panera Bread outlets in California, according to Bloomberg.

A spokesman denied any connection, saying: "This story is absurd."

In January, a baseline minimum wage of $16 came into effect across California.

[eroticcannibal]

Listen I'm not anti automation and kiosks and contactless deliveries and self checkout, not do I think they are the only way to do things. Just as a very isolated cripple who also struggles with people, I see the value in both. Sometimes I am just too tired to deal with people. Sometimes talking to someone at the checkout or thanking a delivery guy is the only social contact i get. Can we just have both instead of arguing for only one or the other.

[ralfmaximus]

In 2023, Target restricted self-checkout kiosks in some stores to ten items or less. Walmart pulled the machines out of a number of locations altogether. Booths, a British grocery chain, abandoned self-checkout entirely. Dollar General made enormous bets on self checkout tech in 2022, but it recently announced the project flopped. On a December earnings call, Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said the retailer is planning to increase the number of employees in stores, particularly in the checkout area, in a major reversal of its checkout strategy.

Love 'em or hate 'em, self-checkout 1.0 is probably going away.

At least for awhile. It's entirely likely a future v2.0 attempt will be successful. After all, it took UPC barcode scanners a few tries to get right and people didn't trust them at first. But for now? Retailers are backing away from self-checkout at warp speed.

Mostly due to theft.

Yep. Turns out, these things are shoplifter power tools and even imbues shoplifting superpowers to the innocent, because sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference between $5.99/pound apples and $1.09/pound apples. Wink, wink.

Anyway, I'll miss 'em for small purchases.

[morlock-holmes]

It seems to me that computers and automation pose a real crisis for capitalism, at least as it exists today, and I kind of don't understand why other people don't feel the same way.

The cost of reproducing a piece of art has dropped so low that people will reproduce and distribute pieces of art simply out of charity, whether we're talking non-profits like Wikipedia or Project Gutenberg or just randos hosting files on Peer to Peer networks because their computer is on anyway so why not.

So we can, and in practice essentially do have all digitized art available for free to anybody with a computer and internet connection.

The problem with this is that the whole art market is based on selling reproductions, but with the supply of reproductions being essentially infinite the price would not stay high enough except for the fact that there is a legal regime dedicated to creating artificial scarcity in order to inflate the price.

This is, you know, bad.

And now similar things are starting to happen with physical objects thanks to 3d printing.

The other thing is automation of labor. I keep saying this but in a situation where laborers sell their labor on the market and the price at which they sell their labor is based on supply and demand, anything that makes it easier to supply labor is going to be seen as a detriment by the people in the existing labor pool.

I have a friend who complains every time we go to the grocery store about how those self-checkout kiosks are just there so that the grocery store can pay less for staff. Scanning groceries is a rather tedious process but those kiosks don't free former grocery store workers to engage in a life of leisure, they just mean that those workers don't get paid for a bit and then have to find a different job at which they will work just as hard.

And I guess I don't understand how or why market economies would solve either of these problems. Again, in the actually existing capitalist economies, the solution has been having the government impose artificial scarcities on art reproduction, and in labor terms the solution has been... no solution. If your labor suddenly sells for a lot less money you can eat shit, because that's your fault for not being in a market that was less susceptible to automation, which I think we can all agree is a personal moral failing that ought to be punished.

[fuck-customers]

This is more of a fuck colleagues one.

I had to supervise the checkouts on a Saturday night, and they put the one late night manager who doesn’t know anything about front end. On Saturday nights, we have to do fancy cash management with the self scans and remove a lot of their cash contents. He doesn’t know anything about how to work it. And then, to make matters worse, it turns out my colleague on the kiosk somehow didn’t know how to flight the kiosk tills correctly despite being trained on there for weeks! He’d flighted them before so I don’t understand the problem?! Anyways, we get to closing and I start doing the self scans, assuming he’s flighting them as I had asked him to, and then one of them breaks. I call my manager and he doesn’t know what to do so we stand there (and by this point my shift has 20 minutes left) and attempt to fix it. It takes another 20 minutes to figure itself out, and then I can’t find my little flight sheet paperwork because this kiosk colleague has put it upstairs in the managers office?! I told him to give it to me like wtf?! It’s now over my shift by 10 minutes, we go to do the end of night flight check and don’t see the kiosk coupon bags. I go to the kiosk and see they haven’t been done and have to grab them and do them myself, and by the time we finally finish up, it’s 10:45. My shift was supposed to end at 10. It is dark and it is cold and I was frustrated and exhausted. This mess could’ve been mostly avoided if they just gave me some competent coworkers and a manager who knew what they were doing!

Posted by admin Rodney.