Walmart to test self-checkout, completely cashier-less stores

[Heynongman!]

lmao ppl think theyre going to restructure some cashier's job in another dept or area. Why do you think theyre doing this?

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Well let's see. My local store ramped this up a few months ago. Even during the holidays they would only have about 5 cashiers on hand. Now In self checkout there are two giant self checkout pools instead of one, there are 3 employees in each pool now instead of the one person they had before. There are now two people at each entrance: one greeter and one receipt checker, when there used to be just the greeter. They've also got huge a volume of pickup orders that they didn't have a year and a half ago, so there are a ton of shopping jobs that didn't used to be there. I dunno sounds to me like they restructured their cashiers

 

[MrNelson]

Instead of experienced cashiers who are fast we'll be waiting behind people too stupid to do the job they complain others are paid too much to do.

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To be honest, my main gripe with self-checkout is that it makes me feel like I'm bad at a job that I did for four years. They're straight up designed to keep you from actually going fast.

 

[Conal]

Well let's see. My local store ramped this up a few months ago. Even during the holidays they would only have about 5 cashiers on hand. Now In self checkout there are two giant self checkout pools instead of one, there are 3 employees in each pool now instead of the one person they had before. There are now two people at each entrance: one greeter and one receipt checker, when there used to be just the greeter. They've also got huge a volume of pickup orders that they didn't have a year and a half ago, so there are a ton of shopping jobs that didn't used to be there. I dunno sounds to me like they restructured their cashiers

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I mean yeah, the road to automatization is paved with human jobs.

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Black Friday gonna have a record body count

 

[Baked Pigeon]

Imagine being filthy rich beyond your wildest dreams, yet still looking for ways to eliminate someone else's livelihood.

Self checkout is great for those get in, get out moments but there definitely is still a need for regular cashiers.

 

[Johnny956]

Instead of experienced cashiers who are fast we'll be waiting behind people too stupid to do the job they complain others are paid too much to do.

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They can fit 4x as many self checkout stations as normal ones and the biggest advantage is they are usually always open as opposed to closed checkout lanes.

Walmart's self checkouts are substantially more efficient then the ones at my local grocery store. Walmart I can keep scanning and not worry about "please place the item in the bagging area" messages.

also doesn't Walmart already have these? We were at a neighborhood Walmart down in Georgia when on vacation and they only had self checkout there

 

[eFKac92]

I prefer mixed with self checkout options, a lot of people queuing in the one or two open traditional lanes and almost never a queue to self checkout.

 

[Ploppee]

can't to hear the chorus of 'UNEXPECTED ITEM IN THE BAGGING AREA' like in the larger supermarkets here in the UK. A few supermarkets have dropped the scale system altogether as it's much quicker to just have one person overlooking the self-service rather than people waiting for ages for some help to arrive.

 

[OrangeNova]

lmao ppl think theyre going to restructure some cashier's job in another dept or area. Why do you think theyre doing this?

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Walmart my friend works at shifted most cashiers to service desk, Self Checkout moderation, or on floor stock. I think only 2 people left from what they said.

 

[dragonbane]

Hopefully doesn't become the norm at Lidl and co. Normal people can not remotely keep up with the speed of a Lidl/Aldi cashier.

 

[SamAlbro]

Walmart my friend works at shifted most cashiers to service desk, Self Checkout moderation, or on floor stock. I think only 2 people left from what they said.

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They probably won't outright fire people, but they will leave those positions vacant when people inevitably leave over time.

 

[OrangeNova]

They probably won't outright fire people, but they will leave those positions vacant when people inevitably leave over time.

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The same thing was said about the McDonalds Kiosks in Canada too though, and McDonalds ended up having to hire more back staff for orders.

 

[CDX]

My local Walmart hasn't been doing this in my area, maybe they will the next time I'm there.

My Target HAS been doing this nearly every time I've been there since last year when the pandemic started. Target usually has one employee near the self checkout area and NO regular cashier checkout lanes open at all.

Rather than using self checkouts I prefer the Sams Club app, where I can choose to scan everything with my phone as I place it into my cart. Pay on the app and then bypass checkout lines just head for the door. Since Walmart owns Sams I wonder if Walmart has an app that does the same thing or is planning to.

 

[Zombegoast]

Knowing Wal-Mart, they would have at most 6 running throughout the entire store

 

[Remark]

The walmart near me only has like one lane open anyway and they did a remodel and changed most of the lanes into self-checkout so we pretty much already there. Expect job losses soon.

 

[Jmdajr]

So they making it official, cause it been 30 lanes and 1 cashier for years

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Lol

That's about right..

 

[Snake Eater]

Big business utopia is arriving

 

[thewienke]

I avoid some self checkouts in some grocery stores (Kroger in this case) because their scales are too sensitive or finicky and throw the "unexpected item" error or "replace item in bag" thing. I'm never sure when I'm allowed to take the bag off the scale and god forbid you have more groceries than there's room on the scale.

At this particular checkout I also had 10 packets of Kool-Aid mix that weigh 0.25oz each. The cashier had to stand there and enter her employee code for each one because the scale couldn't pick up the change in weight.

Other stores must have some kind of tolerance built in or the scale is turned off entirely. Walmart is actually pretty great because they'll give you the scanner gun even for soda, beer, or bottled water.

 

[yongeandcollege]

I hate self checkout. They should be paying me to do that job.

 

[Night]

Self-checkout is A-ok unless the machine requires each item to be weighed. Then it has the chance to kind of fuck up sometimes, but whatever, it works.

Walmart got rid of weight on their systems ages ago so I use their self-checkout every time I shop there. I'm faster than a cashier, a better bagger than the cashier, and I prefer being able to take my time at the register. I don't mind self-checkout at all.

At this particular checkout I also had 10 packets of Kool-Aid mix that weigh 0.25oz each. The cashier had to stand there and enter her employee code for each one because the scale couldn't pick up the change in weight.

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I had this happen to me at a Winn-Dixie a long time ago when self-checkout first started appearing. Such a pain, lol.

 

[boontobias]

Automation that directly lays off an employee should probably be illegal

 

[Otakukidd]

This makes me happy. The Walmart near me while it has 2 self checkout areas. There's about 30 cashier lanes but never more than 2 cashier's at a time. If you won't hire people to man them, they should be converted to self check out. I do hope they do convert some of the lanes to the self checkout meijers has, which is a full lane with a conveyer and a bagging station at the end like a regular cashier lane.

 

[Jeffolation]

I don't touch that shit. If it comes up where self-checkouts are the only option, I'll just shop elsewhere.

 

[Wilsongt]

Considering my local WalMart might, on a good day, have 3 registers open, this will likely work just fine for them.

But this is yet another way for WalMart to hire less people and overwork the ones they have more.

 

[Muu]

The better self checkout lanes aren't that bad as long as the scanners are new and you haven't bough t awhole literal fuckton of stuff. Main issue w/ walmart is that their scanners are typically shit and the customer base typically buys everything that can fit in a cart.

If they can update w/ a new system though it probably shouldn't be all that bad. 30 checkout lanes with 30 automatic checkout could be nice.

 

[MasterChumly]

And they still will only keep 10% of the lanes open.

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Exactly. My Walmart market has mostly self checkouts. The only issue is half of them are closed due to maintenance issues that they don't fix for weeks on end and god help you if you want to buy alcohol because you have to wait 10 minutes for the one fucking person to come help.

 

[mikeys_legendary]

It's not going to be any different in my area if they implement this nation-wide. There is only one cashier at my local Wal-Mart and about 20 self-checkout lanes.

 

[jwk94]

I'm down. My self-checkout transactions have been smooth as butter this past year. Plus, walmart pay makes things super easy. I wish they'd take that "pay as you're shopping" feature off Walmart+ though. I'd love to be able to use that anytime I go.

 

[Josh5890]

I'm for it. As long as there are enough stations.

While we're at it, can we train people at grocery stores that if I'm in the self-checkout line, I don't want you to invite me over for you to handle my checkout instead. I'm in this line for a fucking reason.

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I will just say as someone who used to work at a grocery store, cashiers are trained to do exactly that. If customers are waiting in line and cashiers are standing at their register with no customers it is a bad look. All they are doing is trying to help you so you can get on with your day faster.

Please treat them with respect.

 

[RadzPrower]

It's a two-edged sword.

As a former retail worker, assuming I got to keep my job and just work the floor instead of having to bounce back and forth to a cash register, I would be absolutely on board for this sort of thing. As a customer, I generally prefer to use self-checkout as well since I'm only buying one or two items and waiting in a cashier line takes a stupid amount of time for what I'm purchasing.

However!

Most companies are not going to use this as a means to improve the working situations of their floor personnel and will simply decrease staff instead. These sorts of automation COULD be used to make for a better experience for both the worker and customer, but because companies are compelled to wring the last dollar out of everything rather than actually treat their employees well.

 

[mantis23]

Sams Club is probably the only place that does it right as far as self scanning items. I open the app on my phone, use the camera to scan things as I shop and when I am done I click a button to pay and walk right past all of the long lines at check out. Dude at the door scans a QR code on my phone as I leave and the entire process is super easy.

 

[RadzPrower]

Sams Club is probably the only place that does it right as far as self scanning items. I open the app on my phone, use the camera to scan things as I shop and when I am done I click a button to pay and walk right past all of the long lines at check out. Dude at the door scans a QR code on my phone as I leave and the entire process is super easy.

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For a while, some Dollar Generals were using a similar system but with a kiosk instead of a person, but now they've switched to a traditional self-checkout system.

 

[skeptem]

Sams Club is probably the only place that does it right as far as self scanning items. I open the app on my phone, use the camera to scan things as I shop and when I am done I click a button to pay and walk right past all of the long lines at check out. Dude at the door scans a QR code on my phone as I leave and the entire process is super easy.

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The company I used to work for tried this, along with handheld scanners. It just has very low engagement if there is a regular cashier option available.

 

[Deleted member 33533]

Seriously. Try making a quick stop at Walmart at 11pm for one or two items, and then wait in line for 1 hour+ to be cashed out.

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Ah, standing in the 20 items or less line behind people with carts full of groceries

 

[Johnny956]

The company I used to work for tried this, along with handheld scanners. It just has very low engagement if there is a regular cashier option available.

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I'm curious how much engagement it is as Sams Club because I see almost always someone showing their phone at checkout when I go. I use it exclusively and now they even offer it at the gas pumps

Walmart has a similar feature but they paywalled it behind Walmart+ and you still have to go to self checkout at the end which is pointless

 

[The Albatross]

Sams Club is probably the only place that does it right as far as self scanning items. I open the app on my phone, use the camera to scan things as I shop and when I am done I click a button to pay and walk right past all of the long lines at check out. Dude at the door scans a QR code on my phone as I leave and the entire process is super easy.

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This sounds like a great system.

Haven't been to a Sams Club in ages, but my memory of it was similar... 10 bays, and they'd have 3 cashiers working and lines going back 100 yards.

 

[Chrome Hyena]

Horrible idea. Self checkout lines at the Walmarts in my area are ALWAYS packed with lines stretching out into the actual store. It's ridiculous. They should limit self check out to 12 to 15 items max. If they want automation, do what Sams Club does, let you buy as you shop on an app and walk out the store.

 

[Zippedpinhead]

I hate self checkout, When I worked retail they paid me to do it. Now I have to do it myself, and it still takes forever because despite ME being fast at it, others are useless at bagging and scanning. Its the worst at Walmart and Home Depot, where there is never enough ROOM to manuever in the self checkout area (so if someone leaves its impossible to get to that spot) never an available actual cashier (which is especially bad when god-forbid you need alcohol or something else that requires an ID scan).

Its an awful experience, and makes me HATE shopping there.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

I went to one a few days ago that was like that, the lanes were bigger with more space between them it was nice. Their card reader kept fucking up on me though but there was someone right there to help me.

 

[UltimateHigh]

Sams Club is probably the only place that does it right as far as self scanning items. I open the app on my phone, use the camera to scan things as I shop and when I am done I click a button to pay and walk right past all of the long lines at check out. Dude at the door scans a QR code on my phone as I leave and the entire process is super easy.

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damn I want that.

 

[TOM 2]

Cue the "CaShLeSs SoCiEtY!!!" doomsday cult conspiracy nutjobs

My pentecostal fam always flips out when there's a shortage on coins (namely over past year)

Re: Sam's Club scan & go shopping
Walmart did that at select stores a year or two ago. I liked it but apparently there was a flaw in the system and they lost money.

 

[Vapelord]

To be honest, my main gripe with self-checkout is that it makes me feel like I'm bad at a job that I did for four years. They're straight up designed to keep you from actually going fast.

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That's my main gripe, its so dang slow per item. Scan item, place in bag. Wait for it to prompt for the next item. The self checkout stands are about 1/4th the size of a regular checkout with different levels. Place your basket on one level, reach down and then up to scan and then back down into your bag. If its one of the ones that weighs items its always wonky for me, they seem to be calibrated to account for a 1g plastic bag not everyone's reusable bags so almost everyone gets please wait for employee message to continue etc.... I usually just wait in line at the regular checkouts unless I am grabbing one thing.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

My Walmart has been testing this for the last 10 years. Their one cashier is only for show.

 

[Birdito]

I can't remember the last time I actually went to a cashier at a Walmart here in the GTA. Self-checkout is great and generally pretty quick.

I'm sure some older folks won't be too thrilled, but there are probably 3 other stores nearby.

 

[Spectral Glider]

I can't wait for the world to try Walmart-less cities.

 

[NPVinny]

Not surprising. Automation will come and replace a lot of jobs like this and cashier jobs are going to be the first to go.

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The thing is, this isn't even automation. This isn't replacing people with robots, this is replacing paid employees with customers.

 

[Foffy]

I can't wait for the world to try Walmart-less cities.

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It'll be Amazon cities, and they have an even lesser view of their workers.

 

[Panther2103]

How does it work for electronics or things that are locked up? I also assume they need someone to watch over the checkout process due to the insane amount of problems people seem to have doing it themselves.

 

[TalonJH]

So they making it official, cause it been 30 lanes and 1 cashier for years

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This. They may call up one extra cashier when people start to complain.

Honestly, I always go to self-checkout at every store.

 

[Musubi]

How does it work for electronics or things that are locked up? I also assume they need someone to watch over the checkout process due to the insane amount of problems people seem to have doing it themselves.

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I mean there will be floor supervisors.