JC Penney to eliminate cash registers

[k2k2]

I was just in our JC Penney this morning. They are doing some renovations, but the thing I found the funniest was what was written on several signs : "Companies coming" Huh? If they mean "Company is coming" then it should be Company's. I can't figure out what else they might have meant, but it's just a strange sign to begin with and was posted on the temporary walls put up around the work being done. I'd love to know who approved those signs.

LOL, even Google wants to change it to Company's when I search. I came up with nothing except stories about the "Company".

In our jcpenney they were opening a Sephora? or Sephoria? makeup counter. Which is odd because our mall has one of these stores already! Could that be the company that is coming??

 

[sksjasams]

In our jcpenney they were opening a Sephora? or Sephoria? makeup counter. Which is odd because our mall has one of these stores already! Could that be the company that is coming??

Yes, this is what I think they mean...another company is coming into the JCP store.

 

[MickeyP]

Self check outs are fine....except too many people just dont seem bright enough to use them.

For the record, I AM bright enough to use a self-checkout, however, I don't find it time-saving, and I don't need another job to do at my expense.

 

[Conway733]

I recently read an article about this. From what the article said, there will be self checkout kiosks, but there will also be employees around the store with mobile card readers on iPad like devices...kind of like how people purchase things in the apple store. Definitely a big change.

 

[bdcp]

Yes, this is what I think they mean...another company is coming into the JCP store.

Except it was in several locations,not just one area being renovated. It still makes no sense. Saying "Companies coming" is grammatically incorrect.

 

[Bell30012]

Face it, cash is on its way out. And so are cash registers and cashiers.

 

[carebee21]

Face it, cash is on its way out. And so are cash registers and cashiers.

I'll admit that I haven't read much on the subject, but I thought something passed this week or last where companies are now allowed to pass on credit card and debit card fees to the user. When I heard that, I was thinking, guess I'm going to a cash envelope instead of paying those fees. It will be interesting to see what impact that has on people carrying and using cash and on JCP new idea...

 

[Colleen27]

I'll admit that I haven't read much on the subject, but I thought something passed this week or last where companies are now allowed to pass on credit card and debit card fees to the user. When I heard that, I was thinking, guess I'm going to a cash envelope instead of paying those fees. It will be interesting to see what impact that has on people carrying and using cash and on JCP new idea...

I don't expect to see larger companies doing so. I expect that it'll just further widen the gap between small, independent stores with slimmer profit margins who may want to pass along fees that cut into the bottom line and the bigger stores that can more easily absorb swipe fees for the sake of customer service/goodwill.

 

[akcire]

I don't think JCPenny's knows their customers, and that will be it's demise.

My mom has a part-time job at Macy's so I buy most of my daughter's clothes at Macy's. I do frequently (once per month or more) go the JcPenny's at my local mall, the woman who works in the photo studio is awesome.

The mall I visit is located in Aurora IL. I often take time, before or after our photo visit to look around. A majority of the people shopping in the store are Spanish speaking Mexicans who pay with cash. On more than one occassion I have translated a quick more complicated question for one of the customers. I find it unlikely that these customers will get a debit card and learn the new technology just to keep shopping at JCPenny.

Sears is located a few hundred feet away.

Perhaps the new CEO's business model is Save Sears by destroying Penny's?

If I have to pay with a credit card AND self check, why wouldn't I just buy it online?

These are just my observations.

 

[maggiew]

It doesn't sound to me like they are moving towards totally self checkout. I read it as there will still be cashiers who will check you out. However, they won't be locked in behind a cash register at the customer service desk but will have mobile stations. It sounds to me like they will have cashiers walking around with their iPads and they will come to you to check you out. But will they be carrying around bags with them? And how will we find them? Maybe they will walk around with a big balloon tied around their waist and we can just look for the balloon when we want to checkout. It will probably be where we have to find call buttons to push when we are ready to check out. If we have to find a call button, I would rather just search out for a register????

They may have self-checkouts located near exits or around the store.

Maggie

 

[maxiesmom]

Wow! Black friday ought to be real interesting this year in the stores that have self check out in place. I won't shop there and its to bad because they had clothes that fit my son really well.

According to a former co-worker of mine who now works for Pennys at the corporate level, Black Friday will be a shell of what it used to be. The plan now is to not open early at all. Hopefully they will change their mind.

I am very surprised they would do away with cashiers. Most stores now use the cashier as someone to try and get you to open a credit card, or they ask if you if you found everything you needed. Seems every other store is trying to get you to interact more with their staff, not less. Sounds like a very bad decision.

 

[Bell30012]

This plan calls for changing from scan codes to RFID tags. RFID tags eliminates the need to actually scan each item. I went to JC Penny just yesterday, school shopping, you know. There were three people in line in front of me. Including me that makes 4. Not one of us used cash.

Rather than have checkout registers set up near the doors they will have employees come to you when you are ready to check out. Ever been to an Apple Store? They've been doing this for years.

 

[maxiesmom]

This plan calls for changing from scan codes to RFID tags. RFID tags eliminates the need to actually scan each item. I went to JC Penny just yesterday, school shopping, you know. There were three people in line in front of me. Including me that makes 4. Not one of us used cash.

Rather than have checkout registers set up near the doors they will have employees come to you when you are ready to check out. Ever been to an Apple Store? They've been doing this for years.

Apple is not Pennys, and they need to realize that. Apple has a unique product, Pennys not so much.

 

[justakrazymom]

Yeah, that's the end of Penney's for me. I hate self-checkout. They want me to do the work but they're sure not interested in giving me a price break for it, and somehow I always end up waiting while the one person watching over the half-dozen self-service terminals deals with several shoppers' problems with the line backing up more by the minute.

I'm also one of those relics that still uses cash most of the time so a cashless store is a huge turn-off to me.

I refuse to use self check out.. I look at it as taking someone's job. I have actually walked out of our local BJ"s because all they had open was one register that was 8 items or less and 4 self check out. I make sure to let them know at the service desk why I am leaving too.

 

[sookie]

Self check outs are fine....except too many people just dont seem bright enough to use them.

My mother is in her 70's and is very bright, but I promise you that a self-checkout would throw her through a loop. JCP was one of her favorite stores, I'm not sure that if they did this she could figure it out. She is technologically impaired.

 

[sookie]

I don't think JCPenny's knows their customers, and that will be it's demise.

My mom has a part-time job at Macy's so I buy most of my daughter's clothes at Macy's. I do frequently (once per month or more) go the JcPenny's at my local mall, the woman who works in the photo studio is awesome.

The mall I visit is located in Aurora IL. I often take time, before or after our photo visit to look around. A majority of the people shopping in the store are Spanish speaking Mexicans who pay with cash. On more than one occassion I have translated a quick more complicated question for one of the customers. I find it unlikely that these customers will get a debit card and learn the new technology just to keep shopping at JCPenny.

Sears is located a few hundred feet away.

Perhaps the new CEO's business model is Save Sears by destroying Penny's?

If I have to pay with a credit card AND self check, why wouldn't I just buy it online?

These are just my observations.

I noticed that the last time I was in JCP (holiday shopping) that a lot of the customers were also hispanic, not speaking english as their first language (or even at all). And cash was king with that population - they pulled out money rolls.
Not to get into a debate about it, I think our country is big enough for all of us. But these people had a lot of confusion at a regular desk, and needed a rep to help them. Just think if there was no customer service rep. I have a lot more respect for them, since I just spent a week in Mexico and went shopping several times - I ended up completely confused each time and eventually just gave up. Price it for me in USD and I'll figure it out, but otherwise...

 

[maxiesmom]

I noticed that the last time I was in JCP (holiday shopping) that a lot of the customers were also hispanic, not speaking english as their first language (or even at all). And cash was king with that population - they pulled out money rolls.
Not to get into a debate about it, I think our country is big enough for all of us. But these people had a lot of confusion at a regular desk, and needed a rep to help them. Just think if there was no customer service rep. I have a lot more respect for them, since I just spent a week in Mexico and went shopping several times - I ended up completely confused each time and eventually just gave up. Price it for me in USD and I'll figure it out, but otherwise...

This is a very good point. I work retail in an area of Michigan with a lot of agriculture. And you can always tell when the farm workers are getting paid, because they come in with huge rolls of cash. And they spend a lot of money.

 

[Bell30012]

There is still the option of having a salesperson check you out. The sales people will have phones that have the RFID scanner built in.

 

[taymorel]

I hate self checkouts, but love the kids clothes at JcPenney. So if I need to buy something from them, I will just buy it online.

I am that person who will stand in a long line for a cashier rather than go through self checkout.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I hate self checkouts, but love the kids clothes at JcPenney. So if I need to buy something from them, I will just buy it online.

I am that person who will stand in a long line for a cashier rather than go through self checkout.

I agree...I just will not use them.