Have grocery self-checkouts been designed to disappoint?

Few, if any, of the transactions BrainTrust Panelist Bob Amster has witnessed on a wide array of systems have been frictionless. Each has an interruption of some form. Where does grocery self-checkout currently fall short?

In recent months we have read Wegmans announce that it is pulling its self-checkout technology because of concerns over theft; Tesco is facing customer displeasure with its self-checkouts; Albertsons is redeploying self-checkout after an eight-year hiatus; Kroger added Everseen’s Visual AI to its self-checkout POS; and Walmart wants to eventually have all cashier-less stores. The direction of self-checkout is varied.

Self-checkout POS systems differ but few (if any) are frictionless, although scanning of produce has improved. How/where the customer accumulates the purchases is important in assuring a smoother flow. Wanting to be environmentally responsible, many consumers bring their own shopping bags, but most bags are not designed to fit or stand properly on the scale side of the checkout, causing yet more friction.

Few, if any, of the transactions I’ve witnessed on a wide array of systems have been frictionless with each having an interruption of some form.

Generally, supermarket retailers require that there be one associate dedicated to assisting customers at self-checkout stations in every store. Large and heavy items, which cannot be scanned on a fixed, flatbed scanner, present a challenge that the associate — equipped with a wireless hand-held scanner — must deal with. Not smooth. The questions then become: What is the total throughput of items per hour in a self-checkout station versus a manned checkout lane? Should retailers care about this performance indicator? Do they care?

The relative practical experience of the average consumer versus a dedicated cashier is two orders of magnitude. (How many times do consumers shop at a supermarket per week and how many transactions per day does a dedicated cashier process?)

Consumers’ feelings about and reasons for using self-checkout vary. Some do not want to wait in (any) line. Others do not want to deal with a cashier or believe they can check themselves out more quickly.

We should consider that younger generations take to technology with ease and with curiosity. Older consumers are more skeptical about using technology if there is no immediate support available. For this latter cohort in particular, their experience must be flawless to assure future use.

• Shoplifters force Wegmans to pull the plug on its self-scanning app – RetailWire
• Tesco Faces Backlash Over Introduction of More Self-Service – Grocery Gazette
• Nobody likes self-checkout. Here’s why it’s everywhere – CNN/WISHTV.com
• Shaping Kroger’s Self-Checkout of Tomorrow with AI and Edge Computing – Lenovo StoryHub
• Walmart Is Looking to Remove All Cashiers From Stores, Going Fully Self Checkout – Positively Osceola