Super Walmart shutting down ALL self checkouts...

[MillauFr]

If you are forced to use a staffed check out lane I would hope they have at least a couple of Genie + lanes so you can skip the line.

 

[RedAngie]

I wouldn't mind self checkout but I have to put everything on the stupid scale/belt instead of being able to bag. And yes the bag sets off the scale/belt into a frenzy. And every time I buy meat I have to get the self checkout supervisor to come over and confirm for each individual item. It's ridiculous. Either you trust us to self checkout or you don't.

Are you referring to Walmart self checkouts or another store?

In every Walmart near me you need not put things on a platform. You can scan items in your cart using the portable scanner. Some produce items do need to be placed and weighed.

On the other hand, the Giant supermarket near me frequently sets off the alarm. EVERYTHING must be placed on the weight sensitive platform, even cases of water or 25 lb buckets of cat litter.

 

[fla4fun]

Our grocery store (Publix) doesn't have them. Sometimes I wish they did because they lines can get SO long.

Since they opened a BJs close to us, we've switched to doing our big weekly shop there. We use the self-checkout and hand scan everything in our cart. It works perfect for us since they don't use bags and we have to get our receipt checked at the exit, anyway.

If I go to Target or Walmart, I'll use whatever line is cheapest.

Our Publix does have self checkout, but there is a sign that cash is not accepted. I use cash only for groceries, as a way to keep my budget in check while I am unemployed, so I don’t use the self checkout. They only have the small setup anyway, so it would be awkward with a cart full of items. I believe there are 8-10 slots for self checkout, and maybe 8 regular checkout lanes.

 

[georgina]

I love self checkout and use it whenever I can - Target, Home Depot, grocery stores, even the library. It's faster and I can watch the prices better. I often have trouble at CVS when buying something light because the bagging area can't tell I put my scanned item there, I have to push down on the scale. And at Aldi I can't use my gift cards so I have to go to a person if I want to use them. That is the only place I shop where I can't use my GC at the self checkout.

 

[RedAngie]

You can self-check liquor in Illinois. I've done it.

That reminds me of an amusing incident in a Chicago area store decades ago, before self checkouts. Even scanners weren’t common yet. ExH bought a six pack of beer among other things. The young cashier keyed in the price, but she asked ExH to hit the “Liquor” key on the register.

Apparently she was under either 21 or whatever Illinois age was legal and couldn’t technically sell alcohol.

 

[dizneegirl]

That reminds me of an amusing incident in a Chicago area store decades ago, before self checkouts. Even scanners weren’t common yet. ExH bought a six pack of beer among other things. The young cashier keyed in the price, but she asked ExH to hit the “Liquor” key on the register.

Apparently she was under either 21 or whatever Illinois age was legal and couldn’t technically sell alcohol.

We've had to actually run beer across the scanner when the cashier is too young to do so, and no one is nearby to help them...

 

[kdonnel]

If you are forced to use a staffed check out lane I would hope they have at least a couple of Genie + lanes so you can skip the line.

It's an extra $79.95 a day per person.

 

[NotUrsula]

Here in the UK we much prefer the hand held self scanning method.
Walk around the supermarket, scan and pack everything as you want.
At the checkout, scan the terminal, pay and leave.
Need a quick ok from the nearby supervisor if you are buying alcohol and, very rarely, a spot check.
No queuing!

ford family

Ironically, the "membership wholesale club" arm of WalMart (San's Club) does use that method in the US, and actually encourages it by offering special discounts if you use the app to scan and pay. You don't even have to go to a terminal to pay; you just roll your cart between exit scanning pillars that verify you have already paid via the app with a credit card.

I constantly wonder why those of us who have that privilege at Sam's Club are not also cleared to at least use the restricted self-check at WalMart stores that have that restriction.

 

[Nayan]

Our Publix does have self checkout, but there is a sign that cash is not accepted. I use cash only for groceries, as a way to keep my budget in check while I am unemployed, so I don’t use the self checkout. They only have the small setup anyway, so it would be awkward with a cart full of items. I believe there are 8-10 slots for self checkout, and maybe 8 regular checkout lanes.

This is ours too and I never use them because I always pay in cash.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Are you referring to Walmart self checkouts or another store?

In every Walmart near me you need not put things on a platform. You can scan items in your cart using the portable scanner. Some produce items do need to be placed and weighed.

On the other hand, the Giant supermarket near me frequently sets off the alarm. EVERYTHING must be placed on the weight sensitive platform, even cases of water or 25 lb buckets of cat litter.

No, sorry....I meant at Shoprite or Acme (our grocery stores). We don't have a Walmart reasonably nearby unfortunately.

 

[kdonnel]

We don't have a Walmart reasonably nearby unfortunately.

I didn't know there were such places.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I didn't know there were such places.

I live in Philadelphia, but the nearest Walmart is like a 20-30 minute drive away which isn't worth it to me.

 

[kdonnel]

I live in Philadelphia, but the nearest Walmart is like a 20-30 minute drive away which isn't worth it to me.

Oh.

20-30 minutes is not a long way in Metro Atlanta driving.

I was expecting you to say it was an hour plus drive.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Oh.

20-30 minutes is not a long way in Metro Atlanta driving.

I was expecting you to say it was an hour plus drive.

I actually made a double typo. I meant 30-40 but doesn't matter. The neighborhood where it's about 30 minutes away is not where I would want to shop. The 40 minutes can easily be an hour with traffic. Not worth is when there are multiple grocery stores and CVS within 5 minutes or less. And BJs in 10. I don't find the prices to be that much better than what I can do with couponing and shopping sales. But if one was more conveniently located then I would check it out more often. It's just not worth my time when I'm spending an hour each way commuting to go that far out of my way on the weekend.

 

[sam_gordon]

Maybe California specific. But at my local chain store, even at a regular checkout, you have to give a date of birth to buy alcohol. They haven't quite got that down yet. I bought non-alcoholic wine, and had to provide a date of birth, but when buying cooking wine, you don't.

At Meijer (similar to Walmart), if you're buying something age restricted at the self checkout, you need to stop, the machine notifies the attendant to come check your age, they swipe their badge, enter their password, hit the key for "ok", THEN you can continue.

I like self checkout if I have a small amount of things (say around 20). For a "full" grocery run? Yea, um, no. Give me a manned check out.

 

[indimom]

DD lives in North Carolina. Her Walmart has made all self checkouts 15 items or less - and the cash register will STOP scanning at 15 items. So, that may be their way to cut back on theft??

Here in Indiana, I was at Walmart about a week ago. Just as I finished scanning my groceries, and hit 'pay now', the register stopped me and called for an attendant. She touched the screen... and it showed an image of me holding my clutch size wallet. She commented that it stopped my purchase because it "caught' my wallet and thought I was still holding merchandise.... sigh. So, apparently, women shouldn't have a purse when they go shopping??


On a side note, the dollar general store near me recently had a renovation. They took what used to be two checkouts; and turned it into two self-checks and a single manned checkout.... within two weeks the self-checks were closed due to theft. So, now they have only the one checkout with no counter space, and you have to wait and wait.

 

[FairyGodmother00]

I was told by an employee about 4 months ago that the would be removing all self checkouts (at least the Super Centers) due to so much shop lifting. They haven't removed them so far. I was never an advocate for them. Job loss for two many employees.

 

[MillauFr]

It's an extra $79.95 a day per person.

And even with that price people would pay it.

 

[MillauFr]

Oh.

20-30 minutes is not a long way in Metro Atlanta driving.

I was expecting you to say it was an hour plus drive.

20 - 30 minutes isn't a long way in Seattle. About 1 mile away. I can walk to Whole Foods faster than I can drive.

 

[MillauFr]

I didn't know there were such places.

It would cost too much to open them in Seatle when land costs $50m an acre. The parking lot alone would cost $200m to build. The Target / Best Buy by our house are stacked on top of each other. There was some sporting goods store on level 2 between them. Does Walmart have any urban stores with parking structures?