Supermarkets are starting to phase out the self-checkout, after a decade of experimenting with the do-it-yourself option. A major chain in Connecticut and Massachusetts, Big Y Foods, recently announced that its 61 New England locations will phase out its self-serve lanes, according to a recent Associated Press story, and other major chains are reducing unstaffed lanes as well. It’s a trend nationwide as the retailers are finding out that the lanes aren’t necessarily beneficial to their bottom line.
We’re glad to hear, however, that local supermarket chains Hannaford and Shaw’s both say they have no plans to get rid of their self-checkouts.
Hannaford spokesman Michael Norton said the company has self-checkouts in only 60 of its 178 stores throughout New England.
“We were never interested in going all in on self-checkouts,” he said. “It’s more like, ”˜here’s another option,’ but our model has always been personal service.”
The Biddeford store, which has four self-checkout lanes, is an anomaly, said Norton, and while it may be a good option for those stores that have a large lunch crowd or many customers in the area who are comfortable with it, “that’s not what customers tell us they want,” he said.
“It needs to be a small part of the mix.”
Shaw’s spokesman Steve Sylven said the chain has no future plans to eliminate its self-serve checkouts either, though the lanes at the Biddeford Shaw’s were removed some time ago. Of the Shaw’s/Star supermarkets in New England, 107 of the 169 stores have self-checkouts, he said.
“We generally find our customers appreciate the convenience they offer,” said Sylven.
According to market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute, only 16 percent of supermarket transactions in 2010 were done at self-checkout lanes in stores with those lanes, down from a high of 22 percent three years ago.
If they’re not being used, these lanes will go by the wayside in Maine, too, because the supermarkets aren’t making money off them the way they thought they would. When the checkouts first came into local stores, the companies undoubtedly believed they’d be a way to increase profits by making the shopper do the work of scanning and bagging their own items rather than paying a cashier. But stores soon found out that they’d still need real people available to help shoppers with the machines. Self-checkouts aren’t coupon-friendly, and they’re not the place for alternative payment options ”“ or purchases of cigarettes, produce and alcohol ”“ but some people try to do them there anyway and a cashier will have to be called over every time, which increases the wait rather than making the transaction quicker.
Soon, the stores will have to invest money in the self-checkout lanes to keep them running, as more people try to use smartphones for scanning and new types of bar codes come into use, and that investment won’t be worth it if the numbers aren’t showing that people want these lanes.
We’d like to see them stay, though, since the self-checkout lane option can be a quick alternative to waiting in line and allows the purchase of personal items without fear of judgment from a cashier or bagger. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone say “hello,” handle your coupons, and scan and bag your groceries with a smile. Other times, a quick, impersonal option is preferable to scan through a few items privately.
Grocery shopping is a tedious necessity for most people, with the exception of those who love couponing or get a thrill over a reduced-price steak. For most of people, it’s a balancing act of trying to find enough appetizing food to create meals that will suffice for the week and fit one’s budget.
On top of that, there’s the experience of your favorite item being out of stock or simply disappearing, unexpected price increases on household staples, getting stuck in an aisle behind too many carts, and the occasional leaky chicken package or milk jug. Waiting in long lines behind children begging their parents for candy bars, the lady who can’t find her gift card or the guy who wants to split up his check between several payment methods only adds to the annoyance of the experience, so it’s nice to know that there’s an option to just do it yourself and get it over with.
If a self-serve checkout lane helps alleviate some of that stress for even a few shoppers, it’s worth keeping even if it’s just in the name of customer service.
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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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